New Delhi, July 6: In a historic moment for India’s space journey, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has become the first Indian astronaut to reach the International Space Station (ISS). The Indian Air Force officer is serving as the mission pilot for the Axiom-4 mission, which docked with the ISS on June 26, after completing a 28-hour journey orbiting Earth.
In a series of newly released photographs, Shukla is seen gazing out of the seven-windowed Cupola Module of the space station — a panoramic observation deck that offers breathtaking views of Earth. Sitting at its edge, Shukla observed the planet below, marking one week in space, representing India with pride among an international crew.
The mission is being led by veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson as commander. The crew, which includes astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland, and the United States, forms a part of the growing global collaboration in space exploration.
In a call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shukla described his emotional moment of seeing India from space for the first time. “When I saw India from space, it appeared much larger and grander than on the map. There are no borders, no lines — just a deep sense of oneness. It feels like the whole Earth is our home and we are all its citizens,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi lauded the milestone, saying, “We welcome the successful launch of the space mission carrying astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland, and the US. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to reach the ISS, carries the hopes and dreams of 1.4 billion Indians. We wish him and the entire crew great success.”
Shukla is only the second Indian to travel into space, after Rakesh Sharma’s historic mission aboard Soyuz T-11 in 1984. However, he is the first Indian to reach the ISS, marking a new era in India’s space ambitions and human spaceflight collaboration with private and international space agencies.
