Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday congratulated Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on the successful liftoff of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS), calling it a “proud moment for India” and an “inspiration for youth across the world.”
Taking to social media platform X, Singh wrote, “Congratulations Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla — you are the first Indian astronaut set to embark on a mission to the International Space Station. Indeed a proud moment for India! ISRO’s growing global collaborations, after the reforms introduced by the government headed by PM Narendra Modi, have placed India as a frontline nation in space exploration.”
The Minister celebrated the historic milestone alongside Australian High Commissioner Philip Green, South Australian Governor Frances Adamson AC, and others by distributing sweets at Anusandhan Bhawan in New Delhi.
The Ax-4 mission, launched at 2:31 am EDT (12 Noon IST) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre, marks India’s return to human spaceflight after four decades. The mission is being commanded by Peggy Whitson, with Group Captain Shukla serving as pilot—the first Indian to fly to the ISS.
The four-member crew, which includes ESA astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), is expected to dock with the ISS around 7 am EDT (4 pm IST) on Thursday, June 26. They will spend up to 14 days conducting scientific experiments, outreach, and commercial activities.
The mission features cutting-edge AxEMU spacesuits, enabling greater mobility and supporting upcoming lunar exploration goals. With 60 research studies representing 31 countries, including India and the U.S., Ax-4 is Axiom Space’s most research-intensive mission to date.
NASA and ISRO are collaborating on several experiments, exploring muscle regeneration, edible microalgae growth, micro-organism survival in space, and human interaction with digital interfaces in microgravity.