Shubhanshu Shukla makes history as first Indian to reach ISS
What's the story
The Axiom-4 mission, which was launched Wednesday on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, has successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS). The docking took place ahead of schedule at 4:05pm IST as the Dragon autonomously attached itself to the space-facing port of the station's Harmony module. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers closely monitored this automated approach and docking procedure.
Crew composition
Meet the Ax-4 crew
The Ax-4 crew comprises former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ISRO's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, and ESA astronauts Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. Upon arrival, they were welcomed by the seven-member Expedition 73 team and given a standard safety briefing.
Mission significance
Historic mission for ISRO, Poland, Hungary
The Axiom-4 mission is historic as it marks the first time an Indian has reached the ISS. It also marks the first long-duration stay on the ISS for Polish and Hungarian astronauts. Shukla, who is piloting this mission, said, "the launch was exhilarating—you feel a strong push into the seat, and suddenly it's silent." "You're weightless, floating in space—it's magical."
Team gratitude
'This experience belongs to everyone...'
Shukla expressed his deep gratitude to the mission team, calling the journey a "collective achievement." He said, "This experience belongs to everyone who played a role in getting us here. It's not just my moment—it's ours." The Axiom-4 mission is one of Axiom Space's most research-intensive missions yet, with joint NASA and ISRO experiments on muscle regeneration, edible algae growth, aquatic microorganisms' survival in space, and human interaction with digital screens in microgravity.
Twitter Post
Take a look at docking video
Watch Dragon and the Ax-4 astronauts dock with the @Space_Station https://t.co/ObPHodyVlf
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 26, 2025