Axiom Mission 4 | SRK's hit song Yun Hi Chala Chal Rahi from Swades on Shubhanshu Shukla on space lift-off playlist

Ax-4 Mission Commander Peggy Whitson's playlist had Thunder by Imagine Dragons, Sławosz Uznański's Supermoce, and Tibor Kapu's Búvóhely.

"We are very proud and emotional," says Shambhu Dayal Shukla, father of Astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as his son became the second Indian to journey into space.

Shubhanshu Shukla with other astronauts on Crew Dragon. (Inset) The #Ax4 crew share their launch-day playlist. (X/ISROSpaceflight & X/Axiom_Space)

Shukla launched aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 spacecraft with the Crew Dragon capsule as part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), lifting off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Adding a personal touch to his historic flight, the Indian Air Force test pilot’s playlist during lift-off featured the beloved film song Yun Hi Chala Chal Rahi from the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer movie Swades (2003), sung by Udit Narayan, Hariharan, and Kailash Kher, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar and music by AR Rahman.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's parents at City Montessori School, Lucknow

Back in his hometown, City Montessori School in Lucknow became the focal point of local celebrations. Shukla's parents, Shambhu Dayal Shukla and Asha Shukla, alongside his sisters Nidhi and Suchi Shukla, joined a large gathering of students for a live telecast of the launch.

The school hosted ‘Vyomotsav’, a watch-party that transformed the campus into a vibrant “mini space centre”, paying tribute to its illustrious alumnus. Shukla has done his schooling till Class XII from its Aliganj branch.

Prof Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, school's president and manager said, “From a curious young learner in our classrooms to a pioneering astronaut, Shux’s story beautifully encapsulates our school’s mission of ‘Education for World Unity and Peace’.” School's founder-director Bharti Gandhi was also present on the occasion.

Vyomotsav underway at City Montessori School

Cheers erupted as the rocket ascended, followed by dancing and heartfelt congratulations, marking a proud moment for the city.

The evening featured a live AXIOM mission broadcast, a replica of the ISS Cupola module, a “Defy Gravity” photo booth, telescope viewings, and a simulated Mission Control Centre—making it part celebration, part science festival.