As Axiom-4 mission nears its end, Shukla celebrates India’s pride and progress in space with heartfelt words and desi flavors aboard the ISS.
New Delhi: 14 July 2025
In a touching parting message from the International Space Station (ISS), Indian Astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla recognized his great nation with “Saare Jahan Se Achha,” referencing the memorable quote used by India’s first space traveler, Rakesh Sharma, in 1984. As the 18-day Axiom-4 mission comes to an end, Shukla’s farewell message marks an important step in India’s journey to commercial spaceflight.
In a heartfelt farewell, Shukla called his time in space “incredible and almost magical,” describing the “transformational” views of Earth and a “great pleasure” to conduct scientific research with fellow scientists around the world! His fellow crew members Commander Peggy Whitson (USA), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) joined him in a symbolic multicultural meal that included Shukla’s homemade-style aam ras and gajar ka halwa, as well as Polish pierogi, in celebration of their shared achievements.
The crew is scheduled to undock from the ISS on July 15 at 4:35 PM IST, with splashdown off the California coast expected on July 16 at 3:00 PM IST. As Shukla looked down upon the subcontinent, he described India as a land “full of ambition, fearless, confident, and proud” signaling not just a farewell, but a promise of what’s to come for the nation’s space aspirations.
Gaurav Shukla’s experience as the first Indian to fly as a tourist reinforcing India’s growing position in human spaceflight as ISRO prepares to conduct its own Gaganyaan mission, continues the legacy of Indian space legends. Gaurav Shukla promised that he would share his distinctive experiences in space to inspire young Indians and instill curiosity in their minds to create future explorers.
