Last Updated:June 26, 2025, 17:22 IST

Shambhu and Asha Shukla said they were overwhelmed with joy and grateful for the nation’s support.

Shubhanshu Shukla’s father and mother say they hope the mission continues safely. (IMAGE: CNN-NEWS18)

The family of Indian-origin astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla shared their joy and pride on Thursday after SpaceX’s Dragon capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS), carrying their son and three others aboard.

Speaking to CNN-News18, Shukla’s father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, said, “Very happy moment for us… hope docking takes place fine. I am thankful to all the countrymen for their wishes".

His mother, Asha Shukla, also expressed her emotions: “I am very happy and excited… hope docking takes place fine."

Shubhanshu Shukla was joined by NASA retiree turned private astronaut Peggy Whitson, who was on her fifth flight, along with Poland’s Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu. The four-member Axiom 4 crew is slated to spend 14 days aboard the International Space Station, where they will carry out microgravity research and science outreach.

For India, Poland, and Hungary, this mission marks a return to human spaceflight after more than four decades and it is also their first time sending astronauts to the ISS.

Kapu is part of Hungary’s national HUNOR astronaut program, while Uznański-Wiśniewski is attached to the European Space Agency. Both are flying as mission specialists.

Shukla, a 39-year-old Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot, is seen as a key figure ahead of the country’s first indigenous human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, which is currently planned for 2027, according to a report by news agency Reuters.

Leading the mission is 65-year-old Whitson, a veteran who retired from NASA in 2018 after logging 675 days in space and setting a US record. She was the first woman to command the ISS and also served as NASA’s first female chief astronaut. Now director of human spaceflight at Axiom, she returns to orbit as commander of the company’s latest mission.

Shankhyaneel Sarkar

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev...Read More

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev...

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News cities » lucknow-news ‘Thankful To The Nation’: Shubhanshu Shukla’s Parents Say As Spacecraft Completes ISS Docking