India has taken a giant leap into the stars as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force launched into space aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket. The mission lifted off from the iconic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida—the same launchpad that once carried Neil Armstrong to the Moon aboard Apollo 11 in 1969.
Group Captain Shukla becomes only the second Indian astronaut to venture into space, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s trailblazing mission with the Soviet Union in 1984. His journey comes after over a month of strict quarantine to ensure peak health for the voyage.
Joining him on the Axiom-4 Mission are Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The four-member international crew is heading to the International Space Station (ISS), where they will spend approximately two weeks conducting 60 cutting-edge scientific experiments—including seven proposed by Indian scientists.
This landmark launch did not come easily. The Axiom-4 mission faced several delays due to weather conditions and technical issues. June 25 marked the sixth scheduled attempt before the rocket finally roared to life.
Shukla reflected on the gravity of the mission, saying, “I carry with me not just instruments and equipment, but the hopes and dreams of a billion hearts.” In a touching message to his family before launch, he added: “Just wait for me, I’m coming.”
The Crew Dragon spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS at approximately 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, following a 28-hour orbital journey—marking a proud moment not just for India, but for global cooperation in space exploration.
