Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the Indian Air Force pilot aboard Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), described his maiden space journey as “magical” during the crew’s first live in-flight interaction from orbit early Wednesday, giving the world a glimpse into life aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft en route to the International Space Station (ISS).
In a heartfelt message from space, Shukla said, “You’re just floating in the vacuum—it’s absolutely magical.”
Recalling the moments leading up to liftoff, he added: “After 30 days of quarantine, sitting in the capsule ‘Grace’ all I could think was—just go. When it finally launched, it was something else entirely. You’re pushed back into the seat—and then there’s sudden silence.”
Expressing gratitude, Shukla called the moment a “collective achievement”, acknowledging the contributions of the global team behind the mission. He also drew symbolic meaning from the swan mascot aboard Dragon, referring to it as a symbol of “wisdom, serenity, and purpose.”
The Ax-4 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson, Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu, and Mission Specialist Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, representing countries across three continents, collectively embodying nearly 30% of the world’s population. Their comments highlighted unity, joy, and excitement for the mission ahead.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday noon IST and is scheduled to dock with the Harmony module of the ISS at 4:30 PM IST today. NASA engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers are monitoring the approach and docking.
Once docked, the Ax-4 astronauts will be welcomed by Expedition 73 and begin a two-week mission involving scientific research, educational outreach, and commercial activities—making it Axiom Space’s most science-intensive mission to date.
Experiments onboard include collaborations between NASA and ISRO, focusing on:
- Muscle regeneration in microgravity
- Growth of sprouts and edible microalgae
- Survival of aquatic micro-organisms
- Human interaction with digital interfaces in space
In a message to India, Shukla paid homage to Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian in space (1984), and invited the nation to join in this historic step: “Namaskar, my dear countrymen… We are back in space after 41 years… This journey is not just to the ISS, but the beginning of India’s Human Space Programme. Let your hearts swell with pride. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!”
The Ax-4 mission, following Axiom’s Ax-1 in 2022, is a milestone for international space cooperation and India’s aspirations in human spaceflight.