New Delhi [India], June 25 (ANI): Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday congratulated Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla for his journey to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Axiom Mission 4, calling it a moment of national pride.
In a post on X, Gandhi reflected on the legacy of Indian spaceflight, pointing out that the mission comes over four decades after Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to travel to space in 1984. “A proud moment for every Indian as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla launches off on his journey to the International Space Station. 41 years after Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian in space, he now carries forward that legacy, inspiring every Indian. Wishing him and the team a safe and successful return. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat,” he wrote.
Earlier, the Union Cabinet passed a resolution congratulating Group Captain Shukla, the first Indian to travel to the ISS, and hailed the successful launch of Axiom Mission 4. Reading the resolution, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “We welcome the successful launch of the space mission carrying astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland and the US. The Indian astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is on the way to become the first Indian to go to the International Space Station. He carries with him the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians. The Cabinet wishes him and other astronauts all the success.”
Union Minister Jitendra Singh also praised the mission and highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s key decision to open India’s space sector to private entities, calling it a “turning point” in India’s space journey. Singh noted the potential for exponential growth, projecting India’s space economy could reach USD 40–45 billion over the next decade. “The change has been miraculous. There are thousands of crores of investment happening from the private sector,” he told ANI.
Singh emphasized that Axiom Mission 4 would offer valuable experience for upcoming Indian space missions, including the Bharat Space Station planned by 2035. “The experiments to be conducted by Shubhanshu will inform arrangements for prolonged space stays and life in microgravity,” he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated the Ax-4 crew in a post on X: “We welcome the successful launch of the Space Mission carrying astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland and the US. The Indian Astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is on the way to become the first Indian to go to the International Space Station. He carries with him the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians. Wish him and other astronauts all the success!”
In another post, Singh acknowledged Shukla’s scientific contributions to the mission, noting that he will conduct seven experiments designed by Indian institutions during his ISS stay. Singh also paid homage to Indian space pioneers Vikram Sarabhai and Satish Dhawan, whose visionary work laid the foundation for India’s achievements in space.
Axiom Mission 4 launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 2:31 am Eastern Time (12 noon IST) aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
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