By The Sampadak Express
Shukla Becomes First Indian to Enter International Space Station
In a historic milestone for India’s space journey, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force became the first Indian to board the International Space Station (ISS). On Saturday, he interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a live video call, sharing his experiences from orbit.“
You may be far from our motherland, but today, you are the closest to the hearts of 140 crore Indians,” said PM Modi, congratulating Shukla on behalf of the nation. “Your name itself signifies auspiciousness (shubh) and your journey marks the beginning of a new era,” the Prime Minister added.
Responding with humility, Shukla said, “This is not my personal journey it belongs to the entire country. I am absorbing this once-in-a-lifetime experience like a sponge.”
A Historic Voyage
Shubhanshu Shukla is only the second Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma’s mission in 1984, and the first ever to enter the ISS. He is part of a four-member crew of the Axiom-4 mission that reached the orbiting lab on Thursday, following a 28-hour journey aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, ‘Grace’.
Describing his first views from space, Shukla shared a powerful reflection:
“Looking at Earth, I realized there are no borders from up here. Our planet looks like one single home. When I first saw India, it looked grand far larger and more majestic than what we see on maps.”
Life in Zero Gravity
Speaking about the challenges aboard the ISS, he said, “Even small tasks are tough here. We trained extensively, but everything changes in zero gravity. Sleeping is particularly difficult.”
He also mentioned experiencing 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets a day as the ISS orbits the Earth approximately every 90 minutes. “We were over Hawaii just a while ago,” he said, describing the surreal pace and perspective of life in orbit.
Symbol of India’s Space Aspirations
Shukla and his international crewmates were welcomed aboard the ISS with warm hugs and handshakes by the current seven-member crew of Expedition 73. The mission commander, veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson, formally inducted the new arrivals and presented astronaut pins to the first-timers Shukla, Polish engineer Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Hungarian mechanical engineer Tibor Kapu.“
I am astronaut number 634. It is an absolute privilege to be here,” Shukla said during the welcome ceremony.
14 Days of Science and Inspiration
The crew will spend the next 14 days conducting scientific experiments and interacting with audiences on Earth, including students and researchers. Shukla promised to stay connected and share more insights as the mission progresses.“
This is not just my journey. I’ve brought the Tiranga and every Indian’s hopes and dreams with me. The next two weeks will be filled with learning and inspiration.”
The Dragon spacecraft ‘Grace’ was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday at 12:01 pm IST. It docked with the ISS at 4:15 pm on Thursday, with the hatch opening at 5:44 pm.
A Message of Unity from Space
In his closing remarks, Shukla reflected on the universal message space offers:
“From space, Earth looks unified no states, no countries just humanity. We are all together in this one home.”
Shubhanshu Shukla’s mission is being hailed as a major leap for India’s space ambitions, and a symbolic step toward deeper international collaboration in space exploration.
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