Indians Celebrate as Ax-4 Mission Sends Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Into Space
“India Sends an Astronaut to Space for the First Time in 41 Years”
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Indians are celebrating the successful launch of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, which includes a diverse international crew — and proudly, an Indian astronaut on board.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is part of this mission, has now become only the second Indian ever to travel into space.
Once the spacecraft docks with the International Space Station (ISS), just over 26 hours after liftoff, Group Captain Shukla will make history again — becoming the first Indian to visit NASA’s orbiting laboratory.
His journey comes 41 years after Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian in space aboard a Russian Soyuz mission in 1984.
The Ax-4 mission is led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, a spaceflight veteran who has spent over 675 days in space, served twice as commander of the ISS, and conducted 10 spacewalks. The launch took place at 2:31 AM EDT (6:31 GMT; 12:01 PM IST) on Wednesday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The commercial spaceflight, operated by Houston-based Axiom Space, is a joint effort involving NASA, ISRO (India’s space agency), the European Space Agency (ESA), and SpaceX.
This mission has captured the imagination of people across India. ISRO stated that the experience Group Captain Shukla will gain aboard the ISS will greatly contribute to India’s future human spaceflight plans.
At 39 years old, Shukla was selected last year as one of four Indian Air Force officers to potentially fly on India’s first human space mission, scheduled for 2027. India has also laid out bold ambitions to build its own space station by 2035 and send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040.
To secure Shukla’s spot on the Ax-4 mission — including his training — ISRO paid ₹5 billion ($59 million; £43 million).
Just minutes after liftoff, Group Captain Shukla had a heartfelt message for India:
“After 41 years, we are back in space — and what an incredible journey it has been,” he said.
“We’re currently orbiting Earth at 7.5 kilometers per second. The Indian flag is on my shoulder.
This isn’t just the start of my journey to the ISS — it’s the beginning of India’s human spaceflight era.
I welcome all my fellow Indians to be part of this mission. I feel proud and filled with excitement.”