New Delhi [India], June 25 : The Union Cabinet on Wednesday welcomed the successful launch of the space mission carrying astronauts from India, India, Hungary, Poland and the US and said Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), is carrying hopes and aspirations of all Indians.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who briefed reporters on cabinet decisions, said a resolution was passed at the meeting.
"We welcome the successful launch of the space mission carrying astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland and the US. The Indian astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is on the way to become the first Indian to go to the International Space Station. He carries with him the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians. The Cabinet wishes him and other astronauts all the success," the resolution adopted by the union cabinet said.
Group Captain Shukla, an Indian Air Force officer, is part of the international crew aboard Axiom Mission 4, launched earlier in the day. His journey marks a historic milestone for India, as he is now the second Indian to go to space.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and crew of Axiom Mission 4.
"We welcome the successful launch of the Space Mission carrying astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland and the US. The Indian Astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is on the way to become the first Indian to go to the International Space Station. He carries with him the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians. Wish him and other astronauts all the success!" he said in a post on X.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh also hailed the mission, calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to open India's space sector to private players a "turning point" that led to a "miraculous" transformation. He said the sector could grow to 40-45 billion US dollars in the next decade.
"I think one of the greatest turning points in India's space journey has been PM Modi's pathbreaking decision to allow the private sector to step in. The change has been miraculous. The transformation in the last 4-5 years, there are thousands of crores of investment happening from the private sector," Singh told ANI.
Speaking about the future of space exploration, Singh added, "Our future projections indicate that in about 8-10 years we might go up to 4-5 times higher, about 40-45 billion US dollars. So, the opening of the space for the private sector was a very courageous decision which could have been taken only by a political dispensation with a tremendous amount of conviction and willpower."
Referring to the significance of Axiom Mission 4, the minister said, "I think it will be a good experience also for future missions. This, coupled with Chandrayaan-4, also for missions like Bharat Space Station, which we plan to have by 2035 and for prolonged stay in space or in microgravity conditions, what are the arrangements to be put in place will also be learnt through the experiments to be conducted by Shubhanshu."
In a separate post on X, Jitendra Singh praised Shukla's historic journey: "Congratulations, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, you are the first Indian Astronaut to embark on a mission to the International Space Station. Indeed, a proud moment for India! ISRO's growing global collaborations, after the reforms introduced by the government headed by PM Narendra Modi, have placed India as a frontline nation in space exploration."
Singh also mentioned that Group Captain Shukla will conduct seven scientific experiments designed by Indian institutions during his stay aboard the ISS. He paid tribute to space pioneers Vikram Sarabhai and Satish Dhawan, whose vision laid the foundation for India's space ambitions.
The Axiom Mission 4 was launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 2:31 am Eastern Time (noon IST) aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is piloting the Axiom-4 mission, said that India is returning to space after 41 years and called it an "amazing ride."
Stating that the journey is the beginning of India's human space programme, he said the chest of Indians "should swell with pride".
In his remarks from onboard the Dragon spacecraft, Shukla said, "Namaskar, my dear countrymen, what a ride. We are back in the space once again after 41 years. It's an amazing ride. We are revolving around the Earth at a speed of 7.5 kilometres per second. The Tiranga embossed on my shoulders tells me that I am with all of you," he said.
"This journey of mine is not a beginning to the International Space Station (ISS) but to India's Human Space Programme. I want all of you to be part of this journey. Your chest, too, should swell with pride. You all also show excitement. Together, let's initiate India's Human Space Programme. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!" he added.
Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma had flown aboard Soyuz T-11 on April 3, 1984 as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme. Sharma spent seven days in space on board the Salyut 7 space station.This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station.
The crew is travelling to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The targeted docking time is approximately 7 am Eastern Time (4 pm IST) on Thursday, June 26.