Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with Group Captain and Axiom-4 mission pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, who scripted history by becoming the first Indian on the International Space Station.
The slogan ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ echoed aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, calling his journey the first step towards India’s ambitious Gaganyaan mission.
Speaking from space, Shukla, the first Indian to board the ISS, told the Prime Minister on Saturday that India looks “grander and bigger from space than it does on a map.” Shukla is currently serving as the mission pilot of Axiom Space’s fourth commercial mission, Ax-4.
Describing his perspective from orbit, Shukla said, “You can truly feel a sense of oneness. There are no borders, no lines. It feels as if this entire Earth is our home and we are all its citizens.”
In a video interaction, Prime Minister Modi hailed Shukla’s achievement, saying, “Though you are far away from the motherland, you are the closest to the hearts of all Indians.” The Prime Minister also drew a personal connection, noting, “Aapke naam mein bhi shubh hai aur aapki yatra naye yug ka shubharambh bhi hai (your name itself means auspicious, and your journey marks the beginning of a new era).”
Shukla made history on Wednesday by becoming the first Indian in 41 years to travel to space, following in the footsteps of Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard a Russian spacecraft in 1984. His journey marks India’s return to human spaceflight after nearly four decades.
The Ax-4 mission, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, successfully docked at the ISS’s Harmony module after a 28-hour journey aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Shukla is joined on the mission by commander Peggy Whitson from the United States, mission specialist Sawosz Uznanski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
Shukla, now officially astronaut number 634 after receiving his Space Station pin, described his initial moments aboard the ISS as both thrilling and slightly challenging. “It may look easy on camera, but my head feels a little heavy,” he admitted, adding, “The next 14 days are going to be exciting and great.”
In a heartfelt message before docking, Shukla had greeted the nation with a simple but powerful “Namaskar from space,” saying he was proud to carry the dreams of 1.4 billion Indians into orbit.
The Ax-4 crew is set to spend approximately two weeks aboard the ISS, collaborating with the Expedition 73 crew. Their mission includes more than 60 scientific experiments and outreach activities, covering fields such as cancer research, DNA repair, and advanced manufacturing — the most ambitious scientific programme yet for an Axiom mission.
The Ax-4 flight also highlights the growing importance of international cooperation and commercial partnerships in the future of space exploration.
source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)