India looks grand and bigger from space than it does on map, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla told Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a video conference on Saturday.
PM Modi interacted with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who scripted history by becoming the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS).
Prime Minister Modi told Shukla that though he may be the farthest from Indian soil, but he is the closest to the hearts of its people.
Also Read: 'Shubh-aarambh' of new era: PM Modi interacts with Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla
“You may be the farthest from Indian soil, but you are the closest to the hearts of its people. Even your name carries the word ‘Shubh’ (auspicious), and your journey marks a new and hopeful beginning, a Shubh Aarambh, for the youth of our nation,” PM Modi said, adding that the feelings of 140 crore Indians are connected with him.
“I stand here representing the excitement, pride, and hopes of every Indian. As you carry our national flag into outer space, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and wish you the very best for your mission,” the prime minister added.
{{/usCountry}}“I stand here representing the excitement, pride, and hopes of every Indian. As you carry our national flag into outer space, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and wish you the very best for your mission,” the prime minister added.
{{/usCountry}}The Axiom-4 Mission, carrying Group Captain Shukla and three other crew members, docked with the ISS on June 26 after a 28-hour journey around the earth. Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson is the mission commander and Shukla is the mission pilot for the Axiom-4 mission.
Shubhanshu Shukla said his travel to the ISS was not just a personal feat but a collective achievement of the entire nation.
"When I saw India for the first time from space, it appeared much larger and grander than on the map," Shukla told the Prime Minister.
"You can truly feel the sense of oneness, there are no borders, no lines. It feels as if this entire Earth is our home and we are all its citizens," he said.
Read More: ‘Next 14 days going to be amazing’: Shubhanshu Shukla's first message from ISS
During the interaction, the prime minister also asked Group Captain Shukla if he had 'Gajar ka halwa' he took along with him, to which he replied that astronauts from other countries on ISS joined him for enjoying rich Indian culinary.
"Yes, I bought gajar ka halwa, moong dal ka halwa and aam ras. I wanted everyone who has joined me from other countries to enjoy the rich Indian culinary. All of us had it together and everyone liked it," Shukla said.
On June 25, PM Modi, while reacting to the successful launch of the Axiom 4 mission, said that Group Captain Shukla is carrying the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians.
"We welcome the successful launch of the Space Mission carrying astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland and the US. The Indian Astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is on the way to become the first Indian to go to International Space Station. He carries with him the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians. Wish him and other astronauts all the success!" PM Modi said in a post on X.
Upon arriving at the ISS, Shukla become the 634th human in space and the first Indian to enter the ISS. He said it was his privilege to be amongst the few people who got a chance to see the Earth from a vantage point and that the experience of seeing Earth from such a distance was "wonderful."