Tricolour on shoulder, excited to be on ISS for next 14 days: Subhanshu Shukla

NH Bureau Friday, 27 June 2025 07:34:31 AM

Tricolour on shoulder, excited to be on ISS for next 14 days: Subhanshu Shukla (Image: X/Space_Station)

New Delhi : Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla with his crew reached International Space Station on Thursday. For the first time, since docking with Dragon spacecraft, the entire team spoke together in a video.

The captain said, I am carrying tricolour on my shoulders and excited to stay here for the next 14 days. He mentioned that they are experiencing a little headache and other signs but with time the body will get used to of the new environments.

"I am feeling lightheaded," the IAF pilot-turned-astronaut said. "But that is not much of an issue compared to the things we will do here for the next 14 days. It is a very proud and exciting moment, a big step in our space journey," Group Captain Shukla said.

Earlier, his family and friends gathered at a school in Lucknow, where he completed his studies, to see the live telecast of of the space capsule Dragon's successful docking at the ISS.

The capsule which is part of the Axiom 4 mission is the fifth and final Dragon in Elon Musk-owned company SpaceX fleet. It was christened "Grace" after reaching orbit.

Speaking to the journalists, his father said that it is a proud moment for all of them. They will now meet Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath soon.

The Indian astronaut has become the 634th astronaut in the world to travel to space.