PM Modi Celebrates Successful Launch of Axiom-4 Mission with Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla

PM Modi Congratulates Shubhanshu Shukla

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his enthusiasm for the successful launch of the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). He highlighted that Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is carrying the hopes, wishes, and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians on this journey. In a post on social media, Modi welcomed the launch of the mission, which includes astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland, and the USA.

A Historic Journey for Shubhanshu Shukla

Modi noted that Group Captain Shukla is on the path to becoming the first Indian to visit the ISS. He extended his best wishes for success to Shukla and the other astronauts involved in the mission.

Shubhanshu's Message from Space

Shortly after the mission's launch, Captain Shubhanshu sent a message back to India. Ten minutes into the flight, he addressed his fellow countrymen, stating, 'Hello, my dear countrymen; we have reached space after 41 years. It has been a remarkable journey. We are orbiting the Earth at a speed of 7.5 kilometers per second, and the Indian flag on my shoulders reminds me that I am with all of you. This is not just the beginning of my journey to the ISS, but also the start of India's human spaceflight program. I want all of you to be a part of this journey; let us advance India's human space program together.'

Mission Details

The Axiom-4 mission was launched from Florida's Kennedy Space Center at 12:01 PM. The mission's pilot, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force, is aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which was launched on a Falcon 9 rocket. The astronauts are set to spend 14 days at the ISS, where they will conduct over 60 scientific experiments.