In a moment etched into the annals of India’s space exploration legacy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday interacted with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla—India’s newest spacefarer—who is currently stationed on the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission.
The interaction, conducted via video conferencing, marks a historic return of an Indian presence in space after a hiatus of 41 years. The last such occasion was in 1984, when Rakesh Sharma flew aboard a Soviet spacecraft.
Shukla, an Indian Air Force officer, is participating in the privately operated Axiom-4 mission that launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The space capsule successfully docked with the ISS 28 hours after liftoff, placing him alongside mission commander and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, as well as European astronauts Slawomir Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary).
During the call, PM Modi expressed pride and admiration for Shukla’s achievement, calling it “a proud moment for every Indian.” The Prime Minister emphasised India’s renewed focus on space collaboration and innovation, highlighting the symbolic and technological significance of the moment.
Shukla’s mission stands as a landmark not only for India but for global cooperation in commercial space travel. Operated by Axiom Space, the mission aims to pave the way for expanding human activity beyond Earth through international partnerships.
This moment of cosmic connection reaffirms India’s growing ambition in the space frontier, offering inspiration to a new generation of scientists and explorers.
