Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla scripts history, enters International Space Station after successful docking | Watch

In a historical effort for bharat, ISRO ( amerind blank Research Organisation) astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Thursday entered the International Space Station after successfully docking the Dragon spacecraft to the  under the private astronaut mission Axiom Mission 4.

The Dragon spacecraft autonomously docked to the space-facing port of the space station's Harmony module at around 4 pm IST on Thursday, ahead of its schedule. This is the first time in more than 40 years that astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary arrived at the International Space Station.

“Dragon spacecraft docked with the @Space_Station at 6:31am ET (1031 UTC),” NASA said in a post on X.

The crew members entered the ISS at roughly 6:10 pm IST.

The spacecraft, named Grace, achieved a soft capture with the space station at 4:01 pm IST over the North Atlantic ocean. The docking sequence was completed at 4:15 pm IST.

This is the first time an Indian has reached the International Space Station.

Along with Shubhanshu Shukla, Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ESA (European Space Agency) astronauts Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary were also part of the team that docked at the ISS.

NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers monitored Dragon's automated approach and docking manoeuvres. The docking comes 28 hours after the Dragon spacecraft launched successfully after days of delay.

The seven-member Expedition 73 team will welcome the Ax-4 team aboard the ISS and will give them a safety briefing.

Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh congratulated Shukla on the successful docking.

“Congratulations #Axiom4! Docking accomplished. Shubhanshu stands at the threshold entrance of International Space Station #ISS … waiting to step in for a 14 day sojourn…. As the world watches with excitement and expectation,” he said.

Earlier, in a live interaction from aboard the spacecraft, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, serving as the mission pilot, described the launch as "magical" and reflected on his journey.

"I am thrilled to be here with my fellow astronauts--what a ride it was. Honestly, as I sat in the capsule 'Grace' on the launchpad yesterday after 30 days of quarantine, all I could think was: just go. When the launch finally happened, it was something else entirely. You're pushed back into the seat--and then suddenly, there's silence. You're just floating in the vacuum, and it's magical," Shukla said.

He expressed gratitude to the mission team, calling the experience a "collective achievement."

"I truly appreciate the efforts of every individual who made this journey possible. It's not just a personal accomplishment--it belongs to all of us," he said.

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