'It was a great ride': Shubhanshu Shukla's first message after lift-off

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla made history as Axiom Mission 4 lifted off aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 from Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre; ISS docking set for June 26 at 4:30 pm IST

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla delivered a message from space on Wednesday, minutes after the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) lifted off aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.

 

"Namaskar, my dear countrymen; we have reached space after 41 years. It was a great ride," Shukla said 10 minutes into the flight, marking a historic moment for India’s space endeavours. 

 

FOLLOW SHUBHANSHU SHUKLA's AXIOM MISSION 4 UPDATES LIVE   Speaking from orbit, Shukla shared the exhilaration of the mission as the spacecraft circled the Earth at incredible speed. "We are orbiting Earth at a speed of 7.5 kilometres per second. I have the Indian tricolour on my shoulders," he said.  

  Shukla emphasised the symbolic and emotional significance of carrying the national flag to space. "The Tricolour tells me I am with you all. It is not just the start of my journey to the ISS, but also of India's human spaceflight," he said.

 

In an appeal to the nation, Shukla invited citizens to be part of this larger journey. "I want each one of you to be part of this journey. Let us embark on India's human space programme together," he said, speaking from aboard the Dragon spacecraft. 

ALSO READ: All About Falcon 9, the SpaceX rocket taking Shubhanshu Shukla to ISS

Shukla lifts off on Axiom mission 4

Shubhanshu Shukla made history on Wednesday with the successful launch of Axiom Mission 4 from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The mission took off aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket at 12.01 pm IST from Launch Complex 39A. The Ax-4 crew is expected to reach the International Space Station (ISS) on June 26 at approximately 4.30 pm IST. 

The mission marks a major milestone for India in the field of human spaceflight, coming more than 40 years after Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian in space in 1984. 

Shubhanshu Shukla to study space nutrition science

Shukla will spend 14 days aboard the ISS, conducting a series of scientific experiments centred on food and nutrition. These studies have been developed through a joint initiative between the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and the Department of Biotechnology, with Nasa lending additional support. 

The launch had faced several delays. Initial postponements were attributed to poor weather conditions, followed by technical issues — first a leak on the Falcon 9 rocket and later another in a Russian module on the ISS.