The Axiom-4 mission successfully launched into space at noon on Wednesday, carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three other international crew members. The spacecraft began its 28-hour journey to the International Space Station (ISS), marking a historic moment for India and several other nations.
With this mission, Shubhanshu Shukla became the second Indian to travel to space, over four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s historic flight on a Soviet mission in 1984. Significantly, Shukla is the first Indian to reach the International Space Station, a continuously manned research facility orbiting Earth at an altitude of 400 kilometers. Also aboard are Poland’s Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, both representing their nations’ return to human spaceflight after more than 40 years.
Shortly after entering orbit, Shukla addressed viewers from space, saying, “This is not the beginning of my flight. This is the beginning of India’s human spaceflight efforts. I am with you all. You all can participate in this flight and feel the energy, and become a part of this mission.”
The mission had faced several delays due to weather conditions and technical issues but finally launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. It is expected to dock with the ISS around 4:30 PM IST on Thursday.
Back home, the launch was celebrated with cheers and applause at the CSIR headquarters in New Delhi, where Union Science Minister Jitendra Singh, scientists, and dignitaries including Australian High Commissioner Philip Green watched the event live.
The Axiom-4 mission symbolizes not just a scientific milestone, but a new chapter in India’s space journey, reinforcing its aspirations in human space exploration.
