Marking a historic milestone in Indian space history, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has become the first Indian astronaut in over four decades to reach the International Space Station (ISS). He is now only the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma&rsquo;s mission in 1984.
Shukla, part of Axiom Space&rsquo;s Ax-4 mission, docked successfully aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft Grace at the ISS&rsquo;s Harmony module at 4:00 PM IST on Thursday, alongside three other astronauts from the US, Poland, and Hungary.
&ldquo;Docking confirmed!&rdquo; announced SpaceX on X, celebrating the moment.
After launching aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA&rsquo;s Kennedy Space Centre, Shukla shared his elation: &ldquo;Namaskar from space! It was an amazing ride. I&rsquo;m learning like a baby&mdash;how to eat and walk here.&rdquo;
Born in Lucknow, Shukla brought a taste of home to space with carrot halwa, moong dal halwa, and mango nectar. More than a personal journey, his mission marks India&rsquo;s growing global stature in space innovation.
Onboard the ISS, Shukla will lead research supported by ISRO, DBT, and NASA, focusing on sustainable food systems and space nutrition. He will study microalgae&rsquo;s growth in microgravity, aiming to develop life-support systems for long-duration space missions.
India&rsquo;s space legacy just reached a new frontier &mdash; and Shukla is at the helm.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]
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Shubhanshu Shukla Becomes First Indian on ISS in 41 Years

SpaceX Dragon ‘Grace’ docks at ISS with Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla on board.

Shubhanshu Shukla Becomes First Indian on ISS in 41 Years

SpaceX Dragon ‘Grace’ docks at ISS with Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla on board.

June 26, 2025 | 17:38 IST