Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's family celebrates historic Axiom-4 Mission success
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 27 (ANI): The family members of Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla gathered in Lucknow to celebrate as the Axiom Mission 4 mission crew successfully reached the International Space Station.
The historic mission marks a significant milestone for India's space ambitions.
Shambhu Dayal Shukla, father of Group Captain Shukla, expressed his gratitude and pride, stating, 'I thank all for coming to celebrate and bless my son. His achievement is a matter of pride for the nation.'
Aboard the Grace Dragon capsule, Group Captain Shukla was seen carrying a soft toy swan, a symbol deeply rooted in Indian culture.
Explaining its significance, Shambhu Dayal Shukla said, 'The swan is the carrier of Maa Saraswati, the goddess of truth and knowledge. It is considered a holy bird. Shubhanshu believes in God and performs a 'Gita paath' every day.'
Axiom 4 mission aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully docked at the International Space Station on Thursday. The Dragon spacecraft was ahead of schedule, autonomously docking at 4:05 pm (IST) to the space-facing port of the space station's Harmony module.
NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers monitored Dragon's automated approach and docking manoeuvres. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, ESA (European Space Agency) astronauts Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary lifted off at Noon IST on June 25, on the SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. (ANI)
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