PM Modi interacts with IAF’s Shubhanshu Shukla; First Indian aboard ISS for 14-day space mission

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force officer currently stationed aboard the International Space Station (ISS), via video conferencing on Saturday, June 28. Shukla is part of the Axiom-4 Mission and is the first Indian to reach and work on the ISS.

During the interaction, Prime Minister Modi congratulated Shukla on his achievement and said his presence in space represents the aspirations of 140 crore Indians. Shukla, who carried a small Indian flag with him to space, stated that it symbolises every Indian. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) posted about the conversation through an official update.

Shukla’s 14-day stay on the ISS is the longest by any Indian and involves active participation in scientific research. His mission marks India’s most extensive human spaceflight engagement since Rakesh Sharma’s 1983 journey on a Soviet spacecraft, where Sharma became the first Indian in space.

As part of the Axiom-4 Mission, Shukla has been assigned 30 scientific experiments conducted in microgravity. These include research in fields such as biology, material science, fluid mechanics, and space medicine. The studies are designed to explore human adaptability and system performance in space conditions.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is a serving officer in the Indian Air Force. His selection for the mission and placement on the ISS is part of a growing collaboration in international space exploration missions, with India playing a contributing role through trained personnel and scientific participation.