Making his entry through the Harmony module of the International Space Station (ISS) at 5:55 pm IST on Thursday, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla carried with him not just his space kit, but the hopes and aspirations of over a billion Indians. At that moment, history was scripted: Shukla became the first Indian to set foot aboard the ISS, etching his name into the chronicles of India’s space odyssey.
A feat never before accomplished by an Indian national. While Shukla is the first to board the ISS under the Indian flag, two astronauts of Indian origin – Sunita Williams and Raja Chari – have previously journeyed to the space station as part of NASA missions.
Shukla piloted the mission led by Axiom Space aboard Grace, the latest addition to SpaceX’s Dragon fleet, travelling at a staggering 27,000 km/h. The spacecraft docked in automation mode seamlessly with the orbiting laboratory at an altitude of 422 km, with contact established at 4:01 p.m. IST on Thursday.
After docking, it took nearly two hours to complete mandatory checks and leak tests before the crew was cleared to enter the International Space Station. The Axiom-4 team – led by NASA veteran and mission commander Peggy Whitson – was the first to step aboard, followed by Shubhanshu Shukla and fellow mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. They were greeted with handshakes and embraces by members of Crew-73, currently stationed aboard the ISS.
Twenty-four hours into their voyage, the Axiom-4 crew connected with mission control to share reflections on their first experience in Earth’s orbit. Led by Peggy Whitson – America’s most seasoned astronaut – the four-member team spoke of their spacecraft, Grace, their zero-gravity mascot Joy, and offered heartfelt greetings to their nations and those watching from Earth.
In a message delivered in Hindi, Shukla said, “Namaskar from space”. He noted the historic significance of their launch, which took place from the same site as Apollo 11’s Moon mission, and added: “Not for a moment have I felt alone. It feels as though the entire nation is with me.”