Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday interacted with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is aboard the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, via video conferencing.
Shukla, accompanied by three other astronauts, launched to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre on June 25 as part of the Axiom-4 mission.
“Today, you are away from our motherland, but you are the closest to the hearts of Indians. Aapke naam mein bhi shubh hai aur aapki yatra naye yug ka shubharambh bhi hai (There is good luck in your name and your journey is also a good omen for a new era)," PM Modi said.
Shukla made history on Thursday by becoming the first Indian astronaut to reach the ISS, as the Axiom-4 mission successfully docked with the orbiting lab 28 hours after launch.
During the launch event, PM Modi had said that Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla carries with him the wishes, hopes, and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians.
“We welcome the successful launch of the Space Mission carrying astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland and the US. The Indian Astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is on the way to become the first Indian to go to the International Space Station. He carries with him the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians," said PM Modi.
The Prime Minister also extended his best wishes to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is serving as the spacecraft pilot, along with the three other crew members — mission commander Dr Peggy Whitson from the United States, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
As all eyes were on Shukla after the successful lift-off of the four-crewed Crew Dragon capsule, the Group Captain said in his first message: “This is the start of India’s human space program. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat."
The Axiom-4 mission marks a commercial effort between Houston-based Axiom Space and NASA. Over the course of their 14-day stay aboard the International Space Station, the crew will carry out 60 scientific experiments, including seven proposed by Indian scientists.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, now the second Indian to venture into space after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 journey, is also expected to take part in a space-to-Earth outreach event, which may include a high-level interaction from orbit.
