Updated 25 June 2025 at 19:20 IST
Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla from Lucknow scripted history by embarking on a space odyssey along with three other astronauts, from US, Hungary and Poland, to the International Space Station as part of a commercial mission by Axiom Space on Wednesday. Shukla's spaceflight, only the second for an Indian, came 41 years after astronaut Rakesh Sharma's was space bound on a Russian spacecraft.
On X, Axiom Space shared the crew's launch day playlist and Shukla's pick was Yun Hi Chala Chal from Swades. The song is a tribute to Indian roots in more ways than the track is in Hindi. Composed by AR Rahman and sung by Kailash Kher and Udit Narayan, it plays in Swades when Mohan Bhargav, an NRI working for NASA, returns to his hometown in India to reunite with his nanny Kaveri Amma. It signifies the uncharted territories that Mohan will discover on this trip to India and the numerous unknowns he will make his own.
"The Tiranga (Tricolour) on my shoulders tells me that I am not alone and I am with all of you," 39-year-old fighter pilot-turned-astronaut Shubhanshu said in his first remarks from the earth's orbit. "Namaskar, my dear countrymen. What a ride! We have returned to space after a gap of 41 years and what an amazing ride it was ('kya kamaal ki ride thi')," he said.
"We are orbiting the earth at a speed of 7.5 km per second... This is not just the beginning of my journey to the International Space Station, but the beginning of India’s human space programme and it is my desire that all the countrymen become a part of this journey," Shukla said.
"Your chest, too, should swell with pride... Together, let's embark on this journey of India's Human Space Programme. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat," Shukla said.
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Published 25 June 2025 at 19:02 IST