'With your love…': Shubhanshu Shukla shares message for 'beloved Indians' from International Space Station
Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has entered the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission, marking a historic milestone in his space journey. Upon his arrival, Shukla shared his excitement and gratitude in a heartfelt message from orbit.
'It has been a wonderful ride, it has been great, and I was looking forward to coming to space,' Shukla said. 'You know, it is something to look forward to, but 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.'
Shukla praised the crew aboard the ISS for their hospitality, stating that his expectations had already been exceeded.
'It was fantastic. I just feel even better now. Whatever expectations I had of coming here were surpassed — by the view, of course, that's a big part of it — but also by you guys. So thank you so much,' he said.
He also expressed optimism about the days ahead on the space station. 'I think this is fantastic, this is wonderful, and I'm very confident that the next 14 days are going to be amazing — advancing science and research, and working together,' he added.
Speaking in Hindi, Shukla also expressed gratitude and pride as he addressed the nation from space. 'A small message for my beloved fellow Indians — with your love and blessings, I have reached the International Space Station,' he said. 'It might seem easy, but our heads feel a little heavy, though none of that matters. We'll get used to it in a few days.'
Shukla and his team launched into space aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, propelled by a Falcon 9 rocket, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday. The crew is set to spend 14 days aboard the International Space Station, where they will carry out scientific experiments in a microgravity environment.
This mission marks a historic milestone, as Shukla becomes only the second Indian to journey into space after Rakesh Sharma, and the first to reach the ISS in nearly four decades. Sharma had spent eight days in orbit aboard the Soviet Union's Salyut-7 space station back in 1984.
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