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Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, in his first message from space, proudly invoked the Indian tricolour and called on citizens to join India’s human spaceflight journey.
Shubhanshu Shukla with SpaceX Falcon 9 crew (AP photo)
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu shukla scripted history by embarking on a space odyssey along with three others to the International Space Station as part of a commercial mission by Axiom Space on Wednesday.
As the first stage was crossed, Shubhanshu Shukla sent a first message from space, saying he, along with the crew, was orbiting Earth at a speed of 7.5 km per second.
Shukla also said he had the Indian tricolour on his shoulders.
“Namaskar, my dear countrymen, we have reached space after 41 years. It was a great ride,” Shubhanshu Shukla said 10 minutes into spaceflight.
“We are orbiting the Earth at a speed of 7.5 km per second. I have the Indian tricolour on my shoulders,” the Indian astronaut said from the Dragon spacecraft.
“Tricolour tells me I am with you all, it is not just the start of my journey to the International Space Station, but also of India’s human spaceflight,” he said.
“I want each one of you to be part of this journey. Let us embark on India’s human space programme together,” Shubhanshu Shukla said.
The much-delayed Axiom-4 mission blasted off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 12:01 pm IST towards the ISS amid cheers from watch parties organised across the world, including at Shukla’s City Montessori School in Lucknow, where his parents witnessed the historic launch.
The Lucknow-born Shukla, former NASA astronaut Mission Commander Peggy Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are part of the Axiom-4 mission that marks the return to space for the three nations.
Shukla became the first astronaut to travel to the International Space Station, a journey that comes 41 years after Rakesh Sharma’s eight days in orbit as part of the then Soviet Union’s Salyut-7 space station in 1984.
The targeted docking time is approximately 4.30 pm IST on Thursday, June 26, NASA said in a statement.
Moment When Shubhanshu Shukla & Crew Head To ISS On Axiom-4 Mission | Watch
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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