The Axiom-4 mission’s successful launch triggered scenes of jubilation in Lucknow among the family of Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla. His parents, Shambhu Dayal Shukla and Asha Shukla, were filled with emotion as they watched the launch live. The mission, which included Shukla, launched after a series of delays, taking off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 12:01 PM (IST). The mission is being piloted by IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla.
Shambhu Shukla expressed immense happiness, attributing the achievement to divine grace. His wife, Asha Shukla, shared that the family was experiencing tears of joy. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, watching the launch from Delhi, hailed the mission as a significant moment for India’s Human Space Programme, calling it a leap towards ‘Viksit Bharat’.
Prior to the launch, Shukla’s father shared that his son’s accomplishment brought pride to both Lucknow and the entire nation. He offered his blessings and prayers for the mission’s success, emphasizing the family’s pride in their son. The Ax-4 mission includes members from India, Poland, and Hungary. It represents each nation’s first space station mission, and the second government-sponsored human spaceflight mission in over 40 years. The mission involves around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, considered one of the most research-intensive activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the ISS to date.