“Kya Kamaal Ki Ride Thi (what amazing ride),” said Indian astronaut Shaubhanshu Shukla when the Dragon SpaceX spacecraft entered orbit around the Earth within 10 minutes of the start of NASA’s Spaceport in Florida.
The captain of the Shukla group, who became the second Indian who traveled to space, spoke in chaste Hindi to announce the return of India to space after 41 years, and invited everyone to become part of their journey.
“Tiranga (tricolor) on my shoulders tells me that I am not alone and I am with you,” he said in his first comments from orbit a 39 -year -old fighter pilot.
“Namascar, my dear countryman.
“We are circulating on Earth at a speed of 7.5 km per second … This is not just the beginning of my trip to the International Space Station, but the beginning of the Indian program of the human universe and it is my desire for all compatriots to become part of this journey,” said Shukla.
“Your chest should also increase with pride … Together, set out on this path of the Indian human space program. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat,” Shukla, captain of the group.
Shukla’s captain scripted history by set out on Wednesday (June 25, 2025) to the space Odyssey together with three other international space station as part of the Axiom Space.
The Dragon spacecraft – named Grace from Astronauts – is expected to anchor the Dragon named at the International Space Station at 16:30 on Thursday (June 26, 2025).
14 -day missions on board ISS “realize return” to the human space flight for India, Poland and Hungary.
‘Yun Hi Chala Chal’ … Fighter pilot, astronaut shubhanshu shukla goes to space odysyy
When on Wednesday (June 25, 2025) he brought SpaceX Falcon 9 -Rocket to space on board, the captain of the Shukla Wing Group gave the hope of the whole nation – and realized his own dream, which probably formed for the first time when he attended an aerial show as a child.
A 39 -year -old man who was driven by the first Indian at the International Space Station and only the second to go to space after Rchessh Sharma in 1984 has more than 2,000 hours of flying experience on a wide range of fighter aircraft after a ten -year career in the Indian Air Force.
The Shukla, born by Lucknow, which passes through the call brand “SHUX”, is part of a commercial commercial space supported by axiom supported by the ISRA-NASA Axiom, which broke into a 14-day stay at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Millions dream of climbing into space to conquer this final limit. And some like Shukla will take place.
His older sister Suchi Shukla remembers when it all started for the first time.
“As a child, he was once on an air show and later told me how fascinated he was at the speed and sound of aircraft. Then he talked about his dream to fly, but of course it was not possible to say how quickly he would adopt his dream.”
“As an Indian and as his sister, this is certainly a very proud moment, because this space journey of my brother carries hope and blessing billions of Indians,” said Mrs. Susi PTI before the start, which was delayed several times.
In her cosmic Odyssey she carries the taste of home, she said.
The astronomer loves Gajar Ka Halwa and Moong gave Ka Halwa, she said. “He wanted his fellow chests on his space path to also taste them,” Mrs. Susi said.
In 2019 he was selected as part of the Indian Astronaut Corps, along with colleagues test pilots Prasanth Balkrishhnan Nair, Angad Pratap and Ajit Krishhnan for Gaganyaan, Indian human cosmic shine, which will probably be launched in 2027.
He was born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, a year after the icon of his hero Rchessh Sharma, a historical space flight, the Captain Shukla performed a school from City Montessori School (CMS) before the National Defense Academy.
“He has the effort, and it focuses on him on what he wants in his life. As soon as he decides, such as the first Indian to concentrate on the ISS, he puts his entire resources and his mind into it and removes all other obstacles,” said Shukla’s captain.
In 2006 he was entrusted to the Indian Air Force and has more than 2,000 hours of flying time on a wide range of aircraft, including Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Jaguar and Dornier-228.
He holds Mtech in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science in Bengalur.
Shukla’s captain and three other Astronaut Gaganyaan appoint extensive training in the Russian Gagarin Cosmonaut training center and the ISRO training facility in Bengalur.
The Captain Shukla Crewates group on Axiom-4, Peggy Whitson, and specialists in Tibor Caps from Hungary and Slawosz aidski-Wisniewski from Poland, describe it as “operative-fellow”, “focused” and “wicked” and “clever” when he comes to space technology.
The crew shared their list of songs.
It was the song “Yun Hi Chala Chal …”, From the Life Road Song About Travel and others he took into space. It’s “Swades”, Shah Rukh Khan Starrer quite by chance about NASA scientists.
The astronauts began to circulate on the ground 10 minutes after the launch, forced the captain of the Shukla group to announce the return of India to a human space flight after 41 years.
“It’s not just the beginning of my journey to the ISS, but also the Indian human space flight. I want each of you to be part of this journey, let’s go to the Indian human space program.” Back home on Earth and in her hometown of Lucknow, President and CMS Manager Geet Gandhi Kingdon, she may have said the best when she said, “We are all excited. “From a curious young pupil in our classrooms to the pioneering astronaut, Shux’s story beautifully encapsulates the mission of our school” Education for World Unity and Peace “,” she said.
This remarkable career has almost never happened.
It was a complete provision that saw the captain of the Shukla group passed his National Defense Test (NDA), his father Shambh Shukl recalled.
“Some of his classmates CMS created a form for NDA. One of them realized that he had been excessively enthusiastic about a few days and asked SHUBHANSHA if he wanted to apply instead. That all started.” He remembered the exact moment when the family learned that the shit was chosen for NDA.
“… True, then in 2001-2, we had a fixed phone on which one of the shubhanshu friends called. He thought of my son, shared the Shaubhanshu result excitedly.
He added that the family would like to see a young man in civil servants. But that was then. Today the day of the celebration was not only for his family, but also his school, peers, teachers, his city and country.
In Lucknow, the Captain of the Shukla CMS group, organized a “public tracking party” to celebrate their space flight.
CMS is also a place where he first met his wife Stove, even though a couple had a marriage, his father said. They have a six -year -old son Kiasha.
“The only quality of my son is that even if you go to him with 400 kilograms of stress, you will return significantly lighter,” he said.
During the 14-day stay in the ISS, the AX-4 crew is expected to communicate with Prime Minister Narendra Modim, school students and space industry leaders.
The Shukla Captain is ready to carry out exclusive experiments related to food and nutrition developed in cooperation between the Indian cosmic research organization (ISRA) and the Ministry of Biotechnology (DBT) with NASA support. ISRO organized a number of seven Shukl experiments, which also participates in five joint studies of the planned NASA for its human research program.
It set up plans to focus on food focused on India to perform experiments on ISS, including Methi germination (whistling) and Moong (green gram) in microgravity conditions.
