‘What a ride’: Indian in space after 41-year gap

AT 12:01PM (IST) on midweek, flames erupted beneath a Falcon 9 skyrocket at jfk blank centre as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla lifted off from American soil. “Namaskar, my dear countrymen,” the Indian Air Force officer said ten minutes later, his voice crackling from orbit — the first words spoken by the second Indian in space: “After 40 years, we have returned to space again, kya kamaal ki ride thi (what a ride this has been)”.The mission launched Wednesday is in stark contrast to the one that took Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma to space in 1984. While Sharma had launched from the windswept steppes of Kazakhstan, aboard a Soviet Soyuz as part of Cold War space diplomacy, Shukla rode a sleek Dragon capsule named Grace built by a private American company from the swamps of Florida. Where Sharma flew to the Soviet Salyut 7 station for a week-long mission to observe the Earth, Shukla headed to the International Space Station for a fortnight. Sharma’s tasks included Earth observation—then still a matter of deep study—while Shukla carried with him 60 experiments from 31 countries. Sharma’s mission had been an instrument of superpower politics; Shukla’s marked a breakthrough for commercial spacefaring.Yet for all the technological and geopolitical transformation, one element remained unchanged: an Indian flag carried into orbit on an astronaut’s shoulder, bearing the weight of a billion dreams. “The Tiranga on my shoulders tells me that I am not alone and I am with all of you,” Shukla continued in Hindi as Earth rolled beneath him at 7.5km per second. “This is not just the start of my journey to the International Space Station, but the beginning of India’s human space programme, and I would like all my countrymen to be part of this journey,” said Shukla, who represents the Indian Space Research Organisation.Also Read | Who is Shubhanshu Shukla, the Indian astronaut going to space todayThe successful launch overcame a prolonged series of delays that had tested both technical systems and national patience. Originally scheduled for May 29, the Axiom-4 mission was put off five times due to issues ranging from technical problems with the Crew Dragon module to unfavourable weather conditions and a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon 9 rocket. The final delay came from pressure concerns in the International Space Station’s Russian Zvezda service module, requiring coordination between NASA and Roscosmos before clearance was granted.The crew was in a four-week quarantine period during which they shifted their sleep regimen to adjust their circadian rhythm to match that on ISS. At Launch Complex 39A, where Apollo missions once departed for the moon, the rocket carried a crew that represented four nations returning to space after decades of absence. Commander Peggy Whitson, America’s most experienced female astronaut with 675 days in space, led the mission with Shukla as pilot and specialists Sławosz Uznański from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. A toy swan named Joy accompanied them as the mission’s unofficial fifth crew member and zero-gravity indicator—a nod to the bird that represents wisdom and purity in Indian culture.Hours before launch, with Dragon’s hatch sealed at 10:22 AM (IST) and all communication checks completed, Axiom Space had posted on social media: “The seats are rotated, and the AX-4 crew is ready for launch!” The crew, quarantined since May 26 in what marked one of the longest isolation periods in modern spaceflight history, had endured weeks of preparation that included underwater escape drills and emergency scenario training.Eight thousand miles away in New Delhi, scientists and officials gathered at Anusandhan Bhawan erupted in cheers after the launch. Union minister Jitendra Singh, flanked by Australian High Commissioner Philip Green and South Australia Governor Frances Adamson, distributed sweets.Also Read | Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's emotional note for wife before journey to spaceWhen Shukla’s message arrived from orbit, concluding with “Jai Hind! Jai Bharat,” the celebration intensified.In Lucknow, Shukla’s mother Asha Shukla held back tears, lost for words as celebrations erupted around her. “Everyone is happy. These are tears of joy.”“India’s ascent to the pedestal of Viksit Bharat has started via space,” Singh declared, calling the mission a vindication of space pioneers Vikram Sarabhai and Satish Dhawan under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. “India is no longer a follower but an equal partner in all collaborations.”Prime Minister Narendra Modi, posting on social media as the mission proceeded, stated: “The Indian astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is on the way to become the first Indian to go to International Space Station. He carries with him the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians.” The 39-year-old pilot’s journey to orbit had begun in Lucknow, where he was born before joining the Indian Air Force fighter wing in June 2006. Rising to Group Captain in March 2024, Shukla accumulated 2,000 flight hours as a combat leader and test pilot. His selection under Isro’s Human Spaceflight Programme led to rigorous year-long training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, Moscow, where he prepared alongside training for India’s upcoming Gaganyaan programme. Hours before launch, his wife Kamna and six-year-old son Sid appeared in a pre-flight video, cheering him on with the words: “You are our hero.”Also Read | Shubhanshu Shukla, 2nd Indian in space, got a little help from SRK on launch dayThe mission also drew a message from India’s first astronaut. In a video recorded before launch, Rakesh Sharma offered his blessing to the new generation: “Greetings from India. Wishing all the very best to the crew. Godspeed and spend as much time as possible to look out of the window. Have a fun time, guys.”The mission carries scientific weight beyond its symbolic value. During their planned two-week stay aboard the ISS, the crew will conduct 60 experiments representing 31 countries. Shukla will oversee seven Indian-designed studies ranging from the impact of microgravity radiation on edible microalgae to examining the effect of microgravity on food crop seed growth.Additionally, he will undertake five ISRO-NASA collaborative experiments—research that could prove crucial for future long-duration missions and space settlements.The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS at 4:30 PM IST on June 26, following a 28-hour journey through space. The mission represents a collaborative effort between Texas-based Axiom Space, SpaceX, and NASA, marking the fourth private astronaut mission to the space station and demonstrating how commercial partnerships have transformed access to low-Earth orbit.For India’s space programme, Shukla’s mission serves as a crucial stepping stone toward indigenous capabilities.Former ISRO chairpersons S Somanath and K Sivan in past conversations told HT that the experience and learnings would directly benefit the Gaganyaan mission and plans for the Bharatiya Antariksh Station. The department of space has termed the mission strategically important, focusing on operational readiness and global integration as India positions itself as a serious contender in human space exploration.Singh indicated that the mission’s success would accelerate legislative progress on the Space Activities Bill, which has been under development since 2017 but has yet to reach Parliament. The bill calls for greater public-private partnership in India’s space programmes, reflecting the collaborative model demonstrated by the Ax-4 mission and the broader shift toward commercial space ventures.The immediate horizon holds additional milestones. Singh said the next major launch would be the Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar mission, originally planned for February but now expected “anytime soon this year” following technical adjustments. The NISAR mission will measure Earth’s changing ecosystems, dynamic surfaces, and ice masses, providing crucial data on biomass, natural hazards, sea level rise, and groundwater across the planet with observations every six days for a baseline three-year mission.Further ahead lies Gaganyaan, India’s independent human spaceflight programme, and the complex Chandrayaan-4 mission featuring docking operations planned for 2028. Both are part of India’s broader ambitions in space, from lunar exploration to establishing a sustainable human presence in orbit through its planned space station.