‘Namaskar, I Am Thrilled To Be Here’: Shubhanshu Shukla Drops Another Message From Space

Last Updated:June 26, 2025, 12:01 is

Shubhanshu Shukla shared his excitement from space, calling the journey to the ISS “an amazing ride”. He also said he was adjusting to space life, learning to eat in microgravity.

Twenty-four hours after he headed to the International Space Station (ISS) on a historic odyssey, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, in yet another message from space, on Thursday, said he was “thrilled” to be there with other astronauts.

He also mentioned it was an amazing ride, thanking everyone for supporting him on his journey.

“Namaskar, from space. I am thrilled to be here with my fellow astronauts,” Shubhanshu Shukla said.

“What I ride it was. After 30 days of quarantine, I just wanted to go (to the ISS). It was an amazing ride,” he said.

“I want to thank everyone who has been a part of this. This is not a personal accomplishment. Family and friends have supported me,” the Indian astronaut added.

Carrying a soft toy, a swan, Shubhanshu Shukla said that in the Indian culture, the swan is a symbol of wisdom.

“I am enjoying the views, and am learning how to eat in this environment,” he said.

“I carried the Indian tricolour on my shoulder during the launch to the International Space Station, which reminded me that I am not alone in this journey, and that all Indians were a part of it,” Shubhanshu Shukla said.

This was Shukla’s second message from space.

On Wednesday, nearly an hour after his launch to the space station, Shubhanshu Shukla, in a video messagehad said that he, along with the crew, was orbiting Earth at a speed of 7.5 km per second.

“Namaskar, my dear countrymen, we have reached space after 41 years. It was a great ride,” Shubhanshu Shukla said 10 minutes into spaceflight.

Shubhanshu Shukla’s launch to the ISS marked India’s return to human spaceflight after a gap of 41 years, following a successful launch of the Axiom Space mission in the US with a four-member multi-country crew.

After multiple delays, Elon Musk’s SpaceX launch vehicle with Crew Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon-9 rocket blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:01 pm (IST).

The rocket carried mission pilot Shukla, a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force(IAF), former NASA astronaut Commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Tibor Kapu of Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland.

Family members, scores of well wishers and space enthusiasts gathered at watch parties across India, Poland, Hungary and the US burst into cheers as the rocket soared into the Florida sky from the same spot from where American astronaut Neil Armstrong, who was the first person to set foot on the moon, took off on the Apollo-11 mission in July 1969.

ALSO READ | Axiom-4 Update: After Seamless Lift-Off, SpaceX Dragon Braces For Docking; Next Stop ISS

And a sarothra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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