Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has become history’s first Indian astronaut on board the International Space Station (ISS), 28 hours after blasting off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida aboard the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the Axiom-4 astronauts docked successfully with the ISS’s Harmony module on Thursday—a significant milestone for India in human spaceflight. This comes 41 years after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma made history in 1984, in what remains the only other time an Indian has gone to space.
Shukla, who is flying the mission, is part of a four-member international crew comprising mission commander Peggy Whitson of the United States and mission specialists Sawosz Uznanski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. This mission also marks the first time astronauts from Poland and Hungary have reached the orbiting space laboratory.
The astronauts, travelling at speeds more than 17,000 kilometres per hour and at an altitude of 418 kilometres above Earth, underwent final medical checks and began acclimatising to microgravity before docking.
In a message to India from space before docking, Shukla greeted his country with a heartfelt “Namaskar from space” and said he was honoured to carry the hopes of 1.4 billion Indians.
“Floating in the vacuum is indescribable. It’s an amazing, humbling feeling,” Shukla said. “I want to thank everyone who made this possible. This isn’t just my achievement—it’s a collective one, shared by so many people back home.”
Describing his first spaceflight, he added: “Apparently, I’ve been sleeping a lot up here! I’m still getting used to zero gravity—like a baby learning how to walk, figuring out how to move and control myself. But I’m really enjoying every moment. It’s okay to make mistakes—in fact, it’s even more fun watching someone else make them too! It’s been a fun, surreal time so far, and I’m sure there’s much more ahead. Looking forward to what comes next!”
The Axiom-4 crew will remain aboard the ISS for around 14 days, working alongside the Expedition 73 team and carrying out more than 60 scientific experiments and educational activities. The mission is said to have the most ambitious research schedule of any Axiom mission to date, with studies covering cancer research, DNA repair, and advanced manufacturing in space.
The Axiom-4 mission underscores the growing role of commercial missions and international collaboration in modern space exploration, reflecting a shift away from government-only space programmes towards global scientific partnerships.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Shukla and the Axiom-4 team shortly after the docking, calling the achievement a symbol of India’s rising profile in global space efforts.
As Shukla adapts to life aboard the ISS, his historic journey stands as a beacon for future generations and a proud moment in India’s space narrative.
Follow us
