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‘Next 14 days going to be amazing’: Shubhanshu Shukla's first message from ISS
Shubhanshu Shukla, who entered the ISS along with three other astronauts, was given the astronaut pin by Axiom-4 mission commander Peggy Whitson.
Shubhanshu Shukla, who on Thursday became the first Indian astronaut to reach the International Space Station (ISS), said he felt better upon arriving at the orbital laboratory and that he was privileged to be among the few who have seen Earth from the vantage point.
"I am astronaut 634. It is a privilege to be here," Shukla said during the formal welcome ceremony on the space station.
"The minute I entered the International Space Station and met this crew, you just made me feel so welcome, as if you literally opened your doors, like your house doors, for us," he said, adding that it's “a privilege to be among the few who have had the chance to see Earth from this vantage point.”
The Indian astronaut said that the next two weeks in the ISS are going to be amazing doing the advancing science and research.
"That is true. It was fantastic. I just feel even better now. Whatever expectations I had of coming here were surpassed by the view, of course, that is a big part of it, but also by you guys," the Indian astronaut said
“I think this is fantastic, this is wonderful and I am very confident that the next 14 days are going to be amazing, advancing science and research, and working together,” he added.
Shubhanshu Shukla scripts history
Shukla, who entered the ISS along with three other astronauts, was also given the astronaut pin by Axiom-4 mission commander Peggy Whitson. He became the 634th astronaut to travel to space.
The Axiom 4 Mission's Dragon spacecraft on Thursday successfully docked to the orbital laboratory 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.
Shukla, a test pilot with the Indian Air Force, is the second Indian to go to space and the first since Rakesh Sharma's eight-day sojourn in 1984. He will be spending the next 14 days aboard the orbiting lab researching microgravity.
