Shubhanshu Shukla soars to ISS, marks India’s return to human spaceflight after 41 years

Shubhanshu Shukla has become the first Indian astronaut to reach the International Space Station, 41 years after Rakesh Sharma’s legendary 1984 spaceflight. Launching with Axiom-4 aboard SpaceX’s Dragon, Shukla called it “a great ride” and dedicated the journey to India’s 1.4 billion people.

New Delhi: India’s Shubhanshu Shukla scripted history by embarking on a space odyssey along with three others to the International Space Station as part of a commercial mission by Axiom Space on Wednesday, 41 years after astronaut Rakesh Sharma’s spaceflight onboard a Russian spacecraft.

SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket blasted off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 12:01 pm IST carrying the astronauts of the Axiom-4 mission towards the ISS amid cheers from watch parties organised across the world, including at Shukla’s City Montessori School in Lucknow where his parents witnessed the historic launch.

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The astronauts began orbiting the Earth 10 minutes after the launch, prompting Shukla to announce India’s return to human spaceflight after 41 years. “Kamaal ki ride thi (It was a great ride),” Shukla said soon after the Dragon spacecraft was placed in orbit around the Earth at an altitude of 200 km. The spacecraft is expected to dock at the ISS at 4:30 pm on Thursday, capping a 28-hour journey.

The Lucknow-born Shukla, former NASA astronaut Mission Commander Peggy Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are part of the Axiom-4 mission that marks the return to space for the three nations. Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station, a journey that comes 41 years after Rakesh Sharma’s eight days in orbit as part of the then Soviet Union’s Salyut-7 space station in 1984.

“Namaskar, my dear countrymen; we have reached space after 41 years. It was a great ride,” Shukla said. “We are orbiting Earth at a speed of 7.5 km per second, I have the Indian tricolour embossed on my shoulders that tells me that I am with all of you,” he said in Hindi. “It is not just the start of my journey to the ISS but also of India’s human spaceflight. I want each one of you to be part of this journey, let us embark on India’s human space programme together,” Shukla said.

Once in orbit, the astronauts revealed the name they gave to their brand-new capsule – Grace. “Good things come to those who wait. Godspeed to the maiden crew of Grace,” SpaceX told the crew.

The astronauts will spend 14 days at the International Space Station and conduct 60 experiments during their mission. In addition to science experiments, the astronauts are flying food that celebrates their heritage: Indian curry and rice with mango nectar; spicy Hungarian paprika paste; and freeze-fried Polish pierogies. Before the flight, Shukla said that he hopes “to ignite the curiosity of an entire generation in my country” and drive innovation.

“I truly believe that even though I, as an individual, am travelling to space, this is the journey of 1.4 billion people,” he said. Shukla is expected to participate in several outreach events during his stay at the ISS and is also expected to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.