‘Tears of joy': Shubhanshu Shukla's parents get emotional during Axiom-4 launch
As the Axiom-4 Mission soared into orbit from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, it marked a proud and emotional milestone—not just in global space exploration, but for one family watching thousands of kilometres away in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force officer and the mission's pilot, is leading India's return to space after more than four decades. Watching the launch, his mother Asha Shukla was moved to tears. 'Everyone is happy. These are tears of joy,' she said. His father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, added, 'It feels great. This was all God's blessings.'
#WATCH | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: Mother of IAF Group Captain & astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, Asha Shukla, gets emotional as she cheers for her son, who is part of the #AxiomMission4 pic.twitter.com/62Ki2J3hRU
— ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2025
#WATCH | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: Asha Shukla, the mother of IAF Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, says, 'Those were tears of joy. We are happy.'#Axiom4 https://t.co/t8PBcT1Ydw pic.twitter.com/G7P6RDwmVr
— ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2025
'What a ride': Shubhanshu Shukla's message enroute space
Speaking from aboard the Dragon spacecraft, Shukla shared a heartfelt message to his countrymen. 'Namaskar, my dear countrymen, what a ride. We are back in the space once again after 41 years. It's an amazing ride. We are revolving around the Earth at a speed of 7.5 kilometres per second. The Tiranga embossed on my shoulders tells me that I am with all of you. This journey of mine is not a beginning to the International Space Station (ISS) but to India's Human Space Programme. I want all of you to be part of this journey. Your chest, too, should swell with pride. You all also show excitement. Together, let's initiate India's Human Space Programme. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!,' he said.
Hours before the spacecraft took off, Shukla took to Instagram to thank those who supported him through his journey. However, what caught internet's attention most was a small note dedicated to his wife. 'Special thanks to Kamna for being the wonderful partner that you are. Without you, none of this was possible but more importantly none of this would matter,' he wrote.
Shukla now follows in the footsteps of Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew into space in 1984 aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 mission. Sharma spent seven days aboard the Salyut 7 space station—until now, the only Indian to have ventured into space.
What is the Axiom-4 Mission?
Launched aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, Axiom-4 Mission is a collaboration between National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and SpaceX to the International Space Station (ISS).
Docking is targeted for 4 pm IST on June 26. The crew is expected to spend up to 14 days conducting scientific research, commercial activities, and outreach.
Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and Axiom's director of human spaceflight, commands the mission. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla serves as pilot, with Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary as mission specialists.
The astronauts are equipped with Axiom's new AxEMU spacesuits, designed to enhance space exploration capability while supporting NASA's lunar goals. The suits are built for high performance and adaptability across a broad range of crew members.
Ax-4 is set to be Axiom Space's most research-intensive mission yet. The crew will conduct approximately 60 scientific studies representing 31 countries, including India, the US, Poland, Hungary, UAE, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and multiple European nations.
NASA and ISRO are jointly involved in experiments exploring muscle regeneration, microalgae growth, the resilience of aquatic organisms, and how humans interact with electronic displays in microgravity.
Axiom Space has been steadily expanding its private astronaut missions. Ax-1 launched in April 2022, followed by Ax-2 in May 2023, and Ax-3 in January 2024. Each mission has progressively advanced the scope of private human spaceflight.
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