Axiom-4 Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla Shares Emotional Message From Space: 'We're Back In Space Once Again After 41 Years'
Shubhanshu Shukla said after Axiom-4 lift-off, "Together, let's initiate India's Human Space Programme. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!"
Shubhanshu Shukla Message: “Namaskar, my dear countrymen! What a ride!” With these words, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the voice — and face — of India’s rekindled space dream. Speaking from orbit aboard the Axiom Mission 4 spacecraft, the Indian Air Force pilot sent a powerful message that has already struck a chord back home.
Here's Shukla's complete message post liftoff:
“Namaskar, my dear countrymen! What a ride! We are back in the space once again after 41 years. It's an amazing ride. We are revolving around the Earth at a speed of 7.5 kilometres per second. The Tiranga embossed on my shoulders tells me that I am with all of you. This journey of mine is not a beginning to the International Space Station (ISS) but to India's Human Space Programme. I want all of you to be part of this journey. Your chest, too, should swell with pride...Together, let's initiate India's Human Space Programme. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!
After 41 years, India's flag will fly in space again.
— Shubhanshu Shukla (@IndiaInSky) June 25, 2025
Jai Hind 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/9BJKHeCjNZ
The heartfelt message isn’t just a personal milestone — it is being seen as a rallying cry for India’s historic Gaganyaan mission, scheduled for 2025. Shukla’s words mark the emotional and symbolic beginning of India's manned spaceflight era.
From Lucknow to Low Earth Orbit
Born in Lucknow on October 10, 1985, Shukla’s journey from the skies to space has been one of discipline, determination, and distinction. Commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2006, he has racked up over 2,000 hours of flying experience across a range of fighter and transport aircraft — from the Su-30 MKI and MiG-21 to the Dornier and An-32.
A decorated combat leader and test pilot, he rose to the rank of Group Captain in March 2024. But the defining turn came in 2019, when ISRO tapped him for astronaut training. He spent a year at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia, braving rigorous preparation for spaceflight.
Axiom-4: A Prelude to Gaganyaan
Shukla is currently one of four astronauts aboard Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), which lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:01 pm IST. The mission marks his first foray into space and sets the stage for a far more ambitious goal: piloting India’s first crewed space mission, Gaganyaan.
The Ax-4 spacecraft is set to dock with the International Space Station on June 26 at around 4:30 pm IST. For India, this ride is more than just symbolic — it’s a bold stride toward self-reliance in human space exploration.
As Shukla so poignantly reminded the nation, this isn’t just his mission — it’s ours. And as he floats in microgravity, wrapped in the tricolour, his words continue to reverberate: “Let’s initiate India’s Human Space Programme… Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!”
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