IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who began his historic mission on Wednesday to become the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS), said the journey symbolises India&rsquo;s human spaceflight ambition.
After a gap of 41 years, India is once again sending an astronaut into space. Shukla will be the second Indian in space, following Rakesh Sharma&rsquo;s mission in 1984.
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&ldquo;This is not my journey alone. I carry the Indian flag with me&mdash;this is the journey of India&rsquo;s human spaceflight,&rdquo; Shukla said from aboard the spacecraft.
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&ldquo;Liftoff for #Ax4. The #Ax4 crew is on its way to the space station,&rdquo; announced Axiom Space, the US-based private space firm that organised the mission in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX.
SpaceX also confirmed the development, stating: &ldquo;Liftoff of Ax-4!&rdquo;
The Ax-4 mission was launched at 2:31 a.m. EDT (12:00 p.m. IST) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA&rsquo;s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Shukla is aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket.
The lift-off took place after being delayed at least six times.
Ahead of the launch, Shukla posted on X (formerly Twitter):
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&ldquo;India is returning to space. Jai Hind.&rdquo;
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He added:
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&ldquo;After 41 years, India&rsquo;s flag will fly in space again.&rdquo;
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Earlier, Shukla shared an emotional message for his wife:
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&ldquo;Special thanks to Kamna for being the wonderful partner that you are. Without you, none of this would have been possible, but more importantly, none of this would matter,&rdquo; he wrote on Instagram, along with a poignant photograph of the couple saying farewell from opposite sides of a glass wall.
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He also thanked the teams involved in the mission for their unwavering support.
Shukla serves as the pilot of the mission, alongside Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States. Other crew members include Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, both of whom are serving as mission specialists.
Once aboard the ISS, Shukla will conduct pioneering research in food and space nutrition, including the effects of microgravity and space radiation on edible microalgae&mdash;a nutrient-rich food source with great potential for future long-duration space missions.
&nbsp;(Apart from the headline, this article has not been edited by Benefit News editorial team and is published from an IANS news feed.)

Captain Subhanshu Shukla and other astronaut's mission Ax-4 begins

After 41 years, IAF’s Shubhanshu Shukla becomes India’s first astronaut to reach ISS

India’s Return to Space: Shukla Reaches for ISS

After 41 years, IAF’s Shubhanshu Shukla becomes India’s first astronaut to reach ISS

June 25, 2025 | 18:52 IST