🇮🇳 India’s Time in Space: Shubhanshu Shukla Flies Axiom-4 Dragon Capsule to ISS
🛰️ A Historic Flight That Marks India’s Next Giant Leap in Human Space Exploration
📅 Published: June 27, 2025
📌 Source: Times of India
🔧 This article is AI-generated and curated from verified sources for accuracy and clarity.
India enters a new era of space exploration as Shubhanshu Shukla becomes the first Indian in over 40 years to cross the Karman line and travel to the ISS aboard Axiom-4's Dragon capsule.
🚀 Main Story
As the night sky wrapped Cape Canaveral in darkness, India stepped into a new space age. At exactly 2:31 AM ET (12:01 PM IST) on Thursday, the Falcon-9 rocket launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, carrying the Axiom-4 mission crew aboard the Dragon spacecraft. At the controls: India’s Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla.
“Namaskar, mere pyaare desh vasiyon,”
Shukla radioed shortly after reaching orbit.
“What a ride! We are orbiting Earth at 27,000 km/h.”
The moment was not just personal, but deeply national. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the crew and posted that Shukla is on his way to becoming the first Indian ever to visit the International Space Station (ISS).
The historic milestone comes 41 years after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s iconic 1984 mission aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11, making Shukla the first Indian to cross the Karman line (the boundary of space) since then.
But Shukla’s words from orbit signaled something more profound:
“This isn't the beginning of my journey to the ISS,
but the beginning of India's human space flight program.”
🌌 What It Means for India
India’s space ambitions are now on a steep upward curve. The Axiom-4 mission represents not just international cooperation but India's push toward:
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Gaganyaan — India’s first human spaceflight mission
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A future Indian Space Station by 2035
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Planned crewed missions to the Moon and beyond
The mission, carried out in partnership with NASA, SpaceX, and Axiom Space, reaffirms India’s position among the global space powers.
⚠️ Disclaimer
This article has been generated by AI based on verified reporting from The Times of India and official mission announcements. While accuracy is a priority, readers should verify information through the original reporting and space agency updates.
