In a significant moment for India’s space journey, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force successfully arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) today aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.
The mission, part of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), marks India’s return to the ISS after more than four decades.
The spacecraft achieved a “soft capture” docking with the ISS on Thursday, concluding its journey that began a day earlier from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Shukla joins a four-member international crew, including astronauts from Poland and Hungary, in a mission organised by private space firm Axiom Space.
The Ax-4 mission underscores the increasing participation of private and international partners in space exploration. For India, Shukla’s arrival at the ISS rekindles a legacy last touched by Rakesh Sharma in 1984, symbolising both progress and promise in the nation’s growing space ambitions.
Shukla’s journey not only repositions India on the orbital map but also highlights the collaborative future of space travel. The mission is being closely followed across the scientific, defence, and public sectors, with national pride riding high.
As Shukla and his fellow crewmembers commence their research tasks aboard the ISS, India watches with anticipation, eyes set skyward toward new celestial possibilities.
