“Jai Hind, Jai Bharat”: Group Captain Shukla Sends First Message from Space After Historic Lift-Off

Florida: In a historic moment for Indian space exploration, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force became the first Indian in 41 years to journey into space as Axiom Mission-4’s Dragon spacecraft successfully lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Wednesday.

Shukla, who hails from Lucknow, now joins Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma, who became the first Indian in space in 1984, aboard the Soviet Union’s Salyut-7 space station. Sharma famously responded to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s question on how India looked from space by saying, “Saare jahaan se achcha.”

Moments after the successful launch, Shukla sent his first message from space, saying: “Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.”

He continued with an emotional address to the nation: “Namaskar Mere Pyare Deshwasiyon. Kaafi Saal Baad Hum Phir Wapas Antariksh Mein Pohonch Gaye Hain. Kamaal Ki Ride Thi. Mere saath Mere Kande Pe Tiranga Hai.”

(Namaskar, my beloved countrymen. After so many years we reached space. It was a very exciting ride. The Tricolour is with me on my shoulder.)

The Axiom-4 mission, delayed multiple times, includes a four-member crew led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, along with Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The mission not only marks a return to space for India but also for Poland and Hungary after decades.

NASA confirmed that the Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) at 4:30 PM IST on Thursday, June 26.

Florida: In a historic moment for Indian space exploration, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force became the first Indian in 41 years to journey into space as Axiom Mission-4’s Dragon spacecraft successfully lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Wednesday.

Shukla, who hails from Lucknow, now joins Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma, who became the first Indian in space in 1984, aboard the Soviet Union’s Salyut-7 space station. Sharma famously responded to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s question on how India looked from space by saying, “Saare jahaan se achcha.”

Moments after the successful launch, Shukla sent his first message from space, saying: “Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.”

He continued with an emotional address to the nation: “Namaskar Mere Pyare Deshwasiyon. Kaafi Saal Baad Hum Phir Wapas Antariksh Mein Pohonch Gaye Hain. Kamaal Ki Ride Thi. Mere saath Mere Kande Pe Tiranga Hai.”

(Namaskar, my beloved countrymen. After so many years we reached space. It was a very exciting ride. The Tricolour is with me on my shoulder.)

The Axiom-4 mission, delayed multiple times, includes a four-member crew led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, along with Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The mission not only marks a return to space for India but also for Poland and Hungary after decades.

NASA confirmed that the Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) at 4:30 PM IST on Thursday, June 26.