NEW DELHI : The spacecraft was launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 2:31 am Eastern Time, carrying former NASA astronaut and mission commander Peggy Whitson, Indian researcher and pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Polish mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Hungarian mission specialist Tibor Kapu.

Shukla is the first Indian astronaut to reach the International Space Station (ISS) since Rakesh Sharma flew aboard Soyuz T-11 in 1984, marking this achievement as a symbolic milestone for India’s space ambitions.

Shortly after reaching the orbit, Shukla delivered a heartfelt message to the people of India: “Namaskar, my dear countrymen, what a ride. We are back in the space once again after 41 years. It’s an amazing ride. We are revolving around the Earth at a speed of 7.5 kilometers per second. The Tiranga embossed on my shoulders tells me that I am with all of you. This journey of mine is not a beginning to the International Space Station (ISS) but to India’s Human Space Programme. I want all of you to be part of this journey. Your chest, too, should swell with pride. You all also show excitement. Together, let’s initiate India’s Human Space Programme. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!”

The Ax-4 mission includes a 14-day stay aboard the ISS, where the crew will conduct around 60 experiments across scientific and cultural domains, including Indian-designed research in microalgae, muscle atrophy, and more.

This achievement not only reignites India’s path toward its Gaganyaan crewed mission (planned for 2027), but also highlights the growing influence of commercial spaceflight, with Axiom and SpaceX paving the way.

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