India celebrates as Falcon 9 returns post ISS lift-off with Shubhanshu Shukla aboard
India marked a momentous return to human spaceflight on Wednesday as Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to reach the International Space Station (ISS), 41 years after Rakesh Sharma's historic mission.
Shukla is part of Axiom Space's fourth private spaceflight mission, launched aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The Axiom-4 mission, which also includes veteran astronaut and mission commander Peggy Whitson, Poland's Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Hungary's Tibor Kapu, lifted off at 12:01 pm IST to rousing applause across the globe. Among the most emotional scenes were those at City Montessori School in Lucknow, where Shukla's proud parents and school community watched the live launch with teary eyes and hopeful hearts.
Roughly ten minutes post-launch, the Dragon capsule successfully entered orbit, circling the Earth at a speed of 7.5 kilometres per second and an altitude of 200 kilometres.
'It was a great ride,' Shukla remarked from space, shortly after the spacecraft was confirmed to be in stable orbit. Speaking in Hindi, he added, 'Namaskar, my dear countrymen; we have reached space after 41 years.'
'This is not just my journey to the ISS, but the beginning of India's human spaceflight journey,' Shukla said, donning a flight suit adorned with the Indian tricolour. 'I hope every citizen joins in as we embark on this new chapter together.'
The mission's spacecraft, namedGrace, is scheduled to dock with the ISS around 4:30 pm IST on Thursday after a 28-hour journey. Once aboard, the astronauts will spend 14 days conducting over 60 scientific experiments focused on human physiology, space technology, and Earth observation.
In a nod to cultural pride, the crew also brought along traditional foods from their home countries. Shukla will be sharing Indian curry and rice, paired with mango nectar, while his colleagues brought Hungarian paprika paste and Polish pierogies.
Speaking ahead of the mission, Shukla said he aimed to 'ignite the curiosity of an entire generation' and inspire innovation back home. 'While I may be one individual travelling to space, this journey belongs to all 1.4 billion Indians,' he said.
The flight has rekindled national pride and public interest in India's space ambitions, with outreach events planned throughout Shukla's time aboard the ISS. He is also expected to engage in a live interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the mission.
The Axiom-4 mission marks a symbolic and scientific milestone not only for India but also for Poland and Hungary, with each nation sending a representative to space after decades. It further strengthens international cooperation in space exploration and highlights the growing role of commercial spaceflight in enabling diverse participation in orbital missions.
As India looks forward to its indigenous Gaganyaan mission, Shukla's voyage offers a powerful reminder of how far the country has come since Rakesh Sharma's landmark journey in 1984 and of the cosmic possibilities that lie ahead.
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Indian Express
an hour ago
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As Axiom-4 and Shubhanshu Shukla lift off, so does India
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Isn't it better to save time and money and just focus on uncrewed missions instead of human spaceflight? To answer that question, we must first stop thinking of 'space' as a single destination. A more useful framework is to think of Earth as our home, the immediate space around us as the farm that sustains it, and deep space as the great, unexplored wilderness. The farm (Earth-Space) The farm is the region around Earth, known as the Earth-Space, where our satellites operate. This farm sustains life in our home. It is not food which is grown here, but data. Modern life depends on this data for everything — GPS for navigation and financial transactions, satellites for weather forecasting and broadcasting, and constellations for the global internet. The farm is not tended to by humans. Uncrewed technology like satellites and probes are able to do this job far more cheaply and safely. The potential for the data they generate is endless and priceless. 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Therefore, the exploration and discovery of the wilderness is necessary to realise the long-term opportunities. As a part of exploring this wilderness, uncrewed missions like Chandrayaan and the Mars rovers are sent first. They are the 'drones' that scout out the region. They map the terrain, identify risks, and locate resources. They go first because it is dangerous and unknown. However, you don't build a settlement in a wilderness with scouts alone. You need pioneers. Humans are adaptable, can problem-solve in real-time (the 'Apollo 13 moment'), and make intuitive leaps that a pre-programmed rover cannot. The counterargument, of course, is that technology itself can solve this. Why send a person when we can send a highly advanced robot controlled by a human from the safety of Earth? With AI to handle basic tasks and a human mind guiding it remotely, couldn't we achieve everything a human could? 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Like India-Pakistan cricket matches, it helps societies surpass domestic squabbles. It creates a groundswell of popular support that translates into political will. If Indians are excited about Gaganyaan, our political leaders will find it easier to champion and fund the long-term vision of the Indian Space Station, crewed Chandrayaans and the missions beyond. This is a virtuous cycle that begins with a human pioneer like Shukla. The earthly dividend But this inspiration is not intangible. The immense challenge of keeping our pioneers alive in space has a remarkable way of improving our lives right here at home. Human spaceflight forces us to invent solutions. These solutions don't stay in the 'wilderness'. They come back home. The algorithms developed to clarify images from deep space were adapted for MRI and CT scans. The high-powered pumps designed for rocket fuel have been miniaturised into artificial heart implants. The water filtration systems designed for the space station, where every drop must be recycled, are now deployed in remote villages and disaster zones, providing clean drinking water. An active human space exploration creates and sustains a high-tech ecosystem of aerospace engineering, materials science, software development, and robotics. This builds national industrial capacity, creates high-value jobs, and makes the entire economy more competitive. These immediate benefits are crucial, but the ultimate justification for India's human spaceflight programme lies in looking beyond the present decade and toward the next century. The long game As technological progress accelerates, the question will shift from whether humanity will travel to other planets, to who will travel and write the rules. In this future, human spacefaring capability is no longer just symbolic; it is central to Indian national power and international standing. The nations that are physically present in the 'wilderness' will be the ones who shape the future of humanity in space. They will set the precedents for law, commerce, and ethics beyond Earth. Gaganyaan is India's entry ticket to having a seat at that table. It is a declaration that India intends to be a rule-maker, not a rule-taker. This is an investment for future generations. Just as decisions made in the Age of Sail determined the world order for 300 years, the decisions we make in this 'Age of Space' will define the coming centuries. The writer is research analyst, High-Tech Geopolitics Programme, Takshashila Institution
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