'Namaskar...': India's Shubhanshu Shukla sends new message for Indians from Axiom-4 ahead of docking - Watch

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has shared another message for the people of the country, alongside his Axiom-4 crew. In a video shared on X by Axiom Space, the crew that includes Peggy Whitson, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu, informed that they were flying over Europe and gave a glimpse of Earth from space. "Namaskar from Space," Shukla greeted in Hindi from the Dragon spacecraft. He also added, "I am thrilled to be here with my fellow astronauts. What a ride it was! When I was sitting in the capsule, the only thought was 'let's just go.' It was an amazing ride, and then suddenly, nothing. You were floating in the silence of vacuum," he said.

Earlier on Thursday, after the historic takeoff of the Axiom-4 mission, Shukla in a special message from Dragon spacecraft, said in Hindi, "Namaskar mere deshwasiyon. After 41 years, we are back in space. And what a magnificent journey it was. Right now, we are orbiting the Earth at a speed of 7.5 kilometres per second. The tricolour is on my shoulder, showing that I am with all of you." He ended his special message with “Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!”

Axiom Mission 4

Axiom Mission 4 is a private spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS) operated by Axiom Space in partnership with SpaceX and NASA.[1] It used SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket to place Crew Dragon Grace into low Earth orbit. The flight was scheduled to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center on May 29, but it was scrubbed due to a liquid oxygen leak. Due to multiple other technical faults, the launch was further delayed, and it became a reality only on June 25 at 12:01 pm IST.

Shukla earlier said that he will be carrying his favourite food to the space. "There will be plenty of food to eat in space, but I will be carrying mango nectar, carrot halwa (gajar ka halwa), and moong dal halwa with me," he said. Shukla added that he hopes to share them with his international crewmates aboard the ISS. Shukla also revealed that he is carrying a souvenir for Rakesh Sharma, the man who ignited his childhood dream of flying to space. "He has been advising me on many things, including how to prepare for this mission," Shukla shared, though he kept the details of the memento under wraps. "It will be a surprise when I return." Furthermore, he is also taking a small white toy swan named Joy, which will serve as the zero-gravity indicator on board. The moment the capsule enters orbit, Joy will float freely inside the cabin, signalling to the astronauts that they've officially left Earth behind.