New Delhi, June 26: IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is on his way to create history by becoming the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS). Shukla, along with three others from the US, Poland, and Hungary, is expected to dock at the orbiting laboratory at 7 a.m.EDT (4.30 p.m. IST).

Lucknow-born Shukla launched to the ISS at 2:31 a.m. EDT (12 noon IST), from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket.

“The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying four Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew members is orbiting Earth and on its way to the International Space Station after launching from Kennedy Space Center at 2:31 a.m. EDT on Wednesday,” NASA shared in an update.

Dragon is carrying Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu.

It “will dock to the Harmony module’s space-facing port at 7 a.m. on Thursday,” NASA added.

After 41 years, India now will have an astronaut in space. Shukla will also be the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma’s flight in 1984.

In his message on the way to the ISS, Shukla said, “Namaskar, my dear countrymen! What a ride! We are back in the space once again after 41 years. It’s an amazing ride. We are revolving around the Earth at a speed of 7.5 kilometres per second.”

“This is not my journey alone, but I am carrying the Indian flag with me, and this is the journey of India’s human space flight,” Shukla added.

He is carrying carrot halwa, moong dal halwa and mango nectar with him to satiate his cravings for home-made food in space.

The Axiom-4 Mission is not just a scientific feat but a testament to India’s rising stature as a global technology powerhouse. It reinforces the nation’s capability to lead space innovation, promote sustainability, and contribute meaningfully to global missions.

Once aboard the ISS, Shukla will conduct pioneering experiments related to food and space nutrition.

These experiments, developed under a collaboration between ISRO and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA, aim to enhance understanding of sustainable life-support systems, a crucial aspect of future long-duration space travel.

The research will also study the effects of microgravity and space radiation on edible microalgae — a nutrient-rich, high-potential food source for future space missions. The experiment will evaluate key growth parameters and examine transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic changes in different algal species in space compared to their behaviour on Earth.

New Delhi, June 25: IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who began his historic mission to become the first from India to reach the International Space Station on Wednesday, said it’s the journey of India’s human space flight.

After 41 years, India will have an astronaut in space. Shukla will be the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma’s flight in 1984.

“This is not my journey alone, but I am carrying the Indian flag with me, and this is the journey of India’s human space flight,” Shukla said, onboard the flight.

“Liftoff for #Ax4. The #Ax4 crew is on its way to the space station,” said the US-based Axiom Space, which has, in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, organised the mission.

“Liftoff of Ax-4!” added SpaceX.

Shukla’s flight launched at 2.31 a.m. EDT ( noon IST) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket.

The lift-off comes after being deferred at least six times.

“India is returning to space, Jai Hind,” Shukla wrote on X, just before the launch of the mission.

“After 41 years, India’s flag will fly in space again,” he added.

Earlier, Shukla also penned an emotional note for his wife.

“Special thanks to Kamna for being the wonderful partner that you are. Without you none of this was possible but more importantly none of this would matter,” said Shukla, in a post on Instagram.

He also shared a photograph that shows them saying goodbye through opposite sides of a glass wall.

Shukla also thanked people “involved in this mission for their support”.

He is serving as the pilot of the mission alongside Commander Peggy Whitson of the US.

The other crew members include Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, both serving as mission specialists. Once aboard the ISS, Shukla will conduct pioneering experiments related to food and space nutrition.

Once aboard the ISS, Shukla will conduct pioneering experiments related to food and space nutrition and study the effects of microgravity and space radiation on edible microalgae — a nutrient-rich, high-potential food source for future space missions.

New Delhi, June 25: India is well on track to achieve a $5 trillion economy and the expectation is to reach this milestone within the next three years, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has stressed.

By 2027, “we hope to become the third largest economy in the world,” he said, adding that all stakeholders — government, business community, industry, trade, and 140 crore Indians — are deeply aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision for ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’.

The minister stated that the government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has focused on quantum change, not incremental progress and it focused not only on growth, but on inclusive, sustainable and honest growth.

He was speaking at a webinar hosted by the Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) on ‘India’s March Towards a $5 Trillion Economy: Navigating Global Challenges’.

On India’s economic strength, Goyal stated that the country has moved from being part of the fragile five to becoming one of the top five economies in the world.

“We have a strong macroeconomic foundation. Our banking system is strong and robust, with high ability to lend. Our inflation is among the lowest India has ever seen — down to 3 per cent again,” he said.

The minister further said that the government has focused on achieving growth that is calibrated for the Indian story and that believes in ‘Seva, Sushasan and Navachar; — Service, Good Governance and Innovation.

He highlighted that MCCI will continue to play a very important role during Amrit Kaal in achieving this goal. Such dialogues help the government better understand what needs to be done to support industries, even in the face of global volatility, turbulence, and uncertainty.

“History reminds us that great economies are not built in calm waters. Great economies are built in turbulent seas,” Goyal emphasised, adding that this is India’s time to seize the moment and that the opportunity must not be missed.

He praised MCCI’s 124-year journey, calling it a bridge between the government, stakeholders, and industries. “MCCI can be called as Mobilizing Commerce and Connecting Industries, because that is exactly what MCCI does,” Goyal added.