Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 28 : Parents of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS), expressed immense pride and gratitude following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with their son on Saturday evening.
The Group Captain's parents shared their emotions after witnessing the conversation, which highlighted Shubhanshu's role in Axiom Mission 4 and his representation of India in space.
Asha Shukla, the mother of the Group Captain, stated that they felt "very good" after the PM conveyed his best wishes to her son for the mission.
"We felt very good as PM Modi extended best wishes to my son and also took a lot of information from him regarding space... He took gajar ka halwa and moong dal ka halwa along with him to space... We are feeling very proud," she said.
Shambhu Dayal Shukla, the father of the Group Captain, echoed his wife's sentiments, noting that it was a moment of pride for the parents.
"We felt very good as PM Modi blessed and motivated him... This is a moment of pride for us... We thank PM Modi and the entire nation for extending best wishes to my son," he stated.
Union Minister for Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh also lauded the Group Captain Shukla's interaction with PM Modi stating, "PM Sh Narendra Modi 's conversation with Shubhanshu Shukla has not only energised the entire crew onboard International Space Station #ISS, but is also a huge motivation for the entire Team #ISRO," in a post on X.
Earlier, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, during his interaction with the PM, said that India looks "very big and grand" from Space.
"Jab pehli baar Bharat ko dekha, Bharat sach mein bohat bhavya dikta hain, jitna ham map pe dekhten hain, usse kahin jyada bada (When we saw India for the first time, we saw that India looks very grand, very big, much bigger than what we see on the map)," Group Captain Shukla said during his interaction
Speaking aboard the ISS, Group Captain Shukla also said that it looks from space that no borders exist on Earth.
"The first view was of the Earth and after seeing the Earth from outside, the first thought and the first thing that came to mind was that the Earth looks completely one, no border is visible from outside. When we see the Earth from outside, it seems that no border exists, no state exists, and no countries exist. We all are part of humanity, and the Earth is our one home, and all of us are in it," he said.
Captain Shukla, who is the second Indian to reach Space, said he feels very proud as India has reached the International Space Station, and it is a collective achievement of the country. He said he is feeling very emotional and happy after the conversation with PM Modi.
He also urged youth to work hard and never stop trying and said, "the sky is never the limit."
Group Captain Shukla said Indian scientists have prepared seven unique experiments for the mission.
"I can say with great pride that for the first time Indian scientists have prepared seven unique experiments which I have brought here to the station. The first experiment, which is scheduled today, is on stem cells... My experiment focuses on how we can prevent or delay muscle loss in space by taking a specific supplement. We will also see if these supplements can be beneficial for older people on Earth as well," he said.
PM Modi also congratulated Group Captain Shukla for hoisting the Tricolour in space and said, "While you are away from our motherland, you are the closest to the hearts of Indians."
"Today, you are away from our motherland, but you are the closest to the hearts of Indians... Aapke naam mein bhi shubh hai aur aapki yatra naye yug ka shubharambh bhi hai," PM Modi said.
Group Captain Shukla is serving as Mission Pilot on the four-member Axiom Mission 4, which launched aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and docked with the ISS on Thursday.
Axiom 4 mission aboard the Dragon spacecraft successfully docked at the ISS on Thursday, ahead of schedule, autonomously docking at 4:05 pm (IST) to the space-facing port of the space station's Harmony module.
The Ax-4 crew was welcomed by the seven-member Expedition 73 team at the ISS and took part in a safety briefing.
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 are part of the crew for the Axiom 4 mission.
The astronauts plan to spend about two weeks aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprised of science, outreach, and commercial activities.