Modi celebrates space mission launch with Indian astronaut

New Delhi, Jun 25 (Prensa Latina) Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the launch today of the Axiom-4 Space Mission en route to the International Space Station (ISS) with astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland and the United States.

June 25, 2025
09:12

In a release on X, Modi also wished the crew, especially Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, whom he said is a source of pride for the people of his country.

According to the Indian Express newspaper, minutes after the launch, Shubhanshu Shukla said that this event marked the beginning of India’s manned spaceflight program.

After several launch date changes due to technical problems, among others, the Axiom-4 mission departed Wednesday with astronauts on board American Peggy Whitson, Polish Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Hungarian Tibor Kapu, in addition to Shukla.

Shukla will become India’s second astronaut to travel into space and the first to go to the ISS.

In 1984, Rakesh Sharma spent nearly eight days aboard the Soviet orbital station Salyut-7.

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