‘He carries 1.4 billion dreams’: PM Modi hails Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s historic flight to ISS

As Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a decorated Indian Air Force pilot, soared into the skies from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center this afternoon, he carried not just cutting-edge science, but the collective dreams of 1.4 billion Indians.

Hailing the historic moment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “We proudly welcome the successful launch of the space mission carrying astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland, and the United States. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, now en route to the International Space Station, is set to become the first Indian to reach its orbiting laboratories. He carries with him the hopes, aspirations, and blessings of an entire nation.”

The milestone flight, part of the multinational Axiom-4 mission, carries astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland, and the United States — symbolizing a new era of global cooperation in space exploration. But for India, the moment is deeply personal and profoundly symbolic.

This launch marks India’s return to human spaceflight nearly four decades after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s historic mission in 1984. With it, India not only renews its celestial ambitions but also reaffirms its place in the elite global space community.

The Axiom-4 mission is more than just science and technology—it’s a bridge between legacy and the future, powered by innovation and strengthened by a reinvigorated Indo-US space partnership.