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Updated 25 June 2025 at 13:08 IST

'Tiranga On My Shoulder ': Shubhanshu Shukla's First Words From Space As He Makes History With Axiom-4 Launch

Moments after successfully reaching Earth's orbit, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla shared an emotional message to all the Indians watching back home. Watch the video below.

Reported by: Aadi Joshi
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The Indian astronaut shared an inspiring message to Indians after the Axiom-4 launch.
The Indian astronaut shared an inspiring message to Indians after the Axiom-4 launch. | Image: X

Axiom-4 Launch: Shukla Just moments after successfully reaching Earth’s orbit aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft on Wednesday, 25th June, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla shared an inspiring and historic message back home, marking a significant milestone for India’s journey into human spaceflight.

"Namaskar, mere pyaare deshvasiyon! What a ride! 41 saal baad, hum phir se antariksh mein pahuch gaye hain. Kamal ki ride thi! Is samay hum 750 km per hour ki raftaar se prithvi ke charo taraf ghum rahe hain. Yeh Bharat ke human space program ki shuruaat hai.Mere kandhe pe Tiranga hai, jo mujhe batata hai ki main akela nahi hoon, mai aap sab ke saath hoon. Yeh meri ISS tak ki journey ki shuruat nahi, yeh Bharat ke human space program ki shuruaat hai. Mai chahata hu ki aap sabhi deshvasi is yatra ka hissa bane. Aaiye, milkar Bharat ki manav space yatra ki shuruaat karte hain. Dhanyawaad, Jai Hind, Jai Bharat !" he exclaimed.

It translates to “Namaskar my dear Indians. 41 years later we've returned to space. What an  amazing ride it has been. We're orbiting the earth at 750 km per hour. I have the Tiranga on my shoulder, telling me I’m not alone, all of you are with me. This is not the start of my journey to the ISS, this is the start of India's human space program. I want all Indians to be part of this journey, you should be proud and be excited. Come, let's begin Bharat's human space journey together. Dhanyawaad, Jai hind, Jai bharat.’ 

With this heartfelt message, Shukla embraced the collective dream of 1.4 billion Indians after becoming the first Indian to go to space after four decades. His words came right after Dragon completed all critical phases of the launch. Mission controllers confirmed that everything onboard was functioning smoothly. The spacecraft is now on its way to dock with the International Space Station on June 26 at 7 a.m. IST.

Also Read: Axiom-4 Crew To Reach ISS On Thursday, Full Mission Timeline Here

Published 25 June 2025 at 12:35 IST