‘Learning like a baby': Shubhanshu Shukla shares first message from space
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the Indian Air Force officer piloting Axiom-4 Mission, shared a new message from space hours after the spacecraft's successful liftoff.
'Hello everyone, namaskar from space,' he greeted aboard the SpaceX Dragon. 'I am thrilled to be here with my fellow astronauts. Wow, what a ride it was. I frankly, when I was sitting on the launch pad yesterday, the only thought in my mind was let's just go… after 30 days of quarantine…I just wanted to go; the excitement was just far away,' Shukla said.
'When the ride started, it was something — you getting pushed back in the seat. It was an amazing ride. And then suddenly nothing. You are floating in a vacuum,' the Indian astronaut added.
Recounting his first few hours in space, Shukla admitted that he initially experienced discomfort upon being shot into the vacuum, however was 'sleeping a lot since yesterday.'
'I was not feeling very great when we got shot into the vacuum,' he said, 'but I have been told I am sleeping a lot since yesterday.'
'Learning like a baby… how to walk and eat in space; this is a small step, but a steady and solid step towards India's human space programme,' Shukla added.
Shukla's spaceflight comes years after the journey of Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, India's first astronaut, who flew into space in 1984 aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 mission and spent seven days on the Salyut 7 space station.
Ax-4 Mission | In-Flight Update https://t.co/Lqu0QiGGrA
— Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) June 26, 2025
Axiom Mission 4 launch
Launched aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. The mission is scheduled to dock at 4 pm IST on June 26.
Over the next 14 days, the crew will undertake an intensive agenda of scientific research, commercial initiatives, and outreach activities.
Commanded by former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space's Director of Human Spaceflight, Peggy Whitson, the Ax-4 crew also includes Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary as mission specialists, with Shukla serving as pilot.
A collaborative effort between NASA and ISRO, the mission's science program includes investigations into muscle regeneration, microalgae growth, survival of aquatic organisms in space, and human interaction with electronic interfaces in microgravity conditions.
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Time of India
16 minutes ago
- Time of India
"It's a very happy thing...", says Udit Narayan as IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla picks 'Yun Hi Chala Chal' song for Axiom 4 Mission launch day
As Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the pilot of the Axiom Mission 4, revealed that he loves to listen to Shah Rukh Khan's 'Swades' movie song 'Yuh Hi Chala Chal', Bollywood singer Udit Narayan expressed his happiness and said that it is a moment of pride for the entire country. As Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the pilot of the Axiom Mission 4, revealed that he loves to listen to Shah Rukh Khan 's 'Swades' movie song 'Yuh Hi Chala Chal', Bollywood singer Udit Narayan expressed his happiness and said that it is a moment of pride for the entire country. 'Yuh Hi Chala Chal' is a popular song from the 2004 movie Swades. The song was composed by Oscar-winner AR Rahman, and the lyrics were penned by veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar. Speaking to ANI, Narayan said, "I want to congratulate Shubhanshu Shukla and all the other pilots for the wonderful achievement to make the entire nation ki baat ye hai ki pehli baar Shubhanshu Shukla ye gaana gaate huye aage space mein gaye very happy thing that this song is in his playlist" The vocals of the song were given by Udit Narayan, Kailash Kher and Hariharan. It is a motivational track that encourages the movie's main character (SRK) to practice perseverance and follow one's own path. The song appears in a montage sequence where Shah Rukh Khan and actor Markand Deshpande travel through the Indian countryside. He recalled how music composer AR Rahman and director Ashutosh Gowariker called him to record the song, "I got a call from Rahman (sahab)'s office and Ashutosh Gowariker ji unhone kaha aapne 'Lagaan' film songs isme bhi gaayiye.. So the songs were recorded and the song was so beautiful. Kailash Kher and Hariharan were also part of the song but gave voice for the hero, Shah Rukh Khan.." As per the official synopsis, Swades is a movie about a NASA scientist who returns to his homeland to find the nanny who raised him, intending to bring her back to America. His journey leads him into the rural heart of India, to the village of Charanpur, and sets him on both an outward and inner quest to find where he truly belongs. On June 25, taking to their X handle, Axiom Space shared the Launch Day Playlist of the Axiom Mission 4 crew. Commander Peggy Whitson has named 'Thunder' by Imagine Dragons her go-to song. Axiom 4 mission aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully docked at the International Space Station on Thursday. The Dragon spacecraft was ahead of schedule, autonomously docking at 4:05 pm (IST) to the space-facing port of the space station's Harmony module. NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers monitored Dragon's automated approach and docking manoeuvres. The Ax-4 crew will be welcomed by the seven-member Expedition 73 team and will now take part in a safety briefing. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, ESA (European Space Agency) astronauts Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary lifted off at Noon IST on June 25, on the SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Earlier, in a live interaction from aboard the spacecraft, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, serving as the mission pilot, described the launch as "magical" and reflected on his journey. "I am thrilled to be here with my fellow astronauts--what a ride it was. Honestly, as I sat in the capsule 'Grace' on the launchpad yesterday after 30 days of quarantine, all I could think was: just go. When the launch finally happened, it was something else entirely. You're pushed back into the seat--and then suddenly, there's silence. You're just floating in the vacuum, and it's magical," Shukla said. He expressed gratitude to the mission team, calling the experience a "collective achievement." "I truly appreciate the efforts of every individual who made this journey possible. It's not just a personal accomplishment--it belongs to all of us," he said. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre at noon IST on Wednesday with Shukla, Whitson, Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Kapu onboard.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Shubhanshu Shukla mission: How many astronauts have been to space?
India's Shubhanshu Shukla became the 634th astronaut to travel to space as he entered the International Space Station on Thursday after a 28-hour journey. This screen grab from a NASA+ broadcast on June 26, 2025, shows the Axiom Mission 4 crew inside the International Space Station's Harmony module.(AFP) Shukla and three other astronauts were formally welcomed on the space station by the members of Expedition 73 with warm hugs and handshakes. Axiom mission commander Peggy Whitson handed out astronaut pins to Shukla, Polish astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Hungarian Tibor Kapu, who marked their maiden voyage to space. "I am astronaut 634. It is a privilege to be here," Shukla said in brief remarks at the formal welcome ceremony on the space station. "With your love and blessings, I have reached the International Space Station. It looks easy to stand here, but my head is a little heavy, facing some difficulty; but these are minor issues," he said. "We will get used to it. This is the first step of this journey," he added. Shukla said over the next 14 days, he and the other astronauts will conduct scientific experiments and interact with people on Earth. "This is also a phase of India's space journey. I will keep talking to you. Let us make this journey exciting. I am carrying the tiranga and I am carrying all of you with me. The next 14 days will be exciting," he said. Shukla said the ride to the space station was wonderful and great and he was overwhelmed by the welcome he received from the crew of the orbital laboratory. "The minute I entered the International Space Station and met this crew, you just made me feel so welcome, as if you literally opened your doors, like your house doors, for us," he said. "That is true. It was fantastic. I just feel even better now. Whatever expectations I had of coming here were surpassed by the view, of course, that is a big part of it, but also by you guys," Shukla said. "So thank you so much. I think this is fantastic, this is wonderful and I am very confident that the next 14 days are going to be amazing, advancing science and research, and working together," he added.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Privilege To Be Among The Few …, Says Shubhanshu Shukla As He Becomes First Indian To Reach ISS
Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Thursday said that it is a privilege to join the select few who have seen the planet from space. "The minute I entered the International Space Station and met this crew, you just made me feel so welcome, as if you literally opened your doors, like your house doors, for us. It's a privilege to be among the few who have had the chance to see Earth from this vantage point,' HT reported, quoting Shukla. Shukla said he looks forward to an exciting two weeks of scientific collaboration and discovery at the International Space Station. 'I think this is fantastic, this is wonderful and I am very confident that the next 14 days are going to be amazing, advancing science and research, and working together,' HT reported, quoting Shukla. Earlier today, Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his fellow three Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew members formally entered the International Space Station (ISS). Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's visit to the International Space Station marks him as the second Indian to travel to space, following in the footsteps of cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma, who made his historic flight in 1984. The mission holds special significance as Shukla is the first Indian to visit the ISS and the first to serve as a pilot on a commercial spacecraft as part of an operational crew. The Axiom-4 mission team, along with Shukl,a includes Commander Peggy Whitson from the United States, a veteran NASA astronaut; Slavoj Uznański-Wisniewski, only the second Pole to take part in a space mission since 1978; and Tibor Kapu, the second Hungarian astronaut to travel to space after a gap of 45 years. The international crew launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday. Axiom Space Mission 4 is a joint mission led by NASA, Axiom Space, SpaceX, ISRO, and the European Space Agency (ESA).
