The moment the Axiom-4 mission on Thursday reached the International Space Station (ISS), Shubhanshu Shukla's parents stood up to applaud the Indian astronaut's feat in space.
The Axiom-4 mission's Dragon capsule, carrying Shukla and his three crewmates, successfully docked with the ISS at 4.30 pm IST on Thursday.
Shukla's parents, Asha Shukla and Shambhu Dayal Shukla, were present at the Lucknow City Montessori School to watch the mission successfully dock at the ISS.
A video, shared by news agency ANI, showed the parents applauding their son's success after the announcement of the mission’s successful docking. Asha Shukla folded her hands and offered prayers as the mission completed a significant milestone.
With this mission, Shukla became the second Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma, and the first Indian to reach the ISS in four decades.
{{/usCountry}}With this mission, Shukla became the second Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma, and the first Indian to reach the ISS in four decades.
{{/usCountry}}Also Read: At lift-off, emotions soar for family, alma mater of Lucknow’s Shubhanshu
A live video link from NASA showed the spacecraft approaching the space station, and the docking sequence was completed at 4:15 pm IST.
Shukla and the team lifted off aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, powered by a Falcon 9 rocket, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Wednesday.
During the launch, the mother was moved to tears while Shubhanshu’s sister, Shuchi Mishra, patted her on the back. The family had attended a special live telecast at the City Montessori School.
All about Axiom-4 mission
The astronauts, part of the crew, embarked on the journey to the space station on Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
Once docked, the astronauts plan to spend about two weeks aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission consisting of science, outreach, and commercial activities.
The 4-member crew is scheduled to spend 14 days on the ISS conducting scientific research in microgravity.
The Axiom-4 mission is sending the first ISRO astronaut to the station as part of a joint effort between NASA and the Indian space agency. The private mission also carries the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary to stay aboard the space station.