Shubhanshu Shukla's parents' emotional reaction as Axiom docks with ISS. Watch

Shubhanshu Shukla's parents Asha Shukla and Shambhu Dayal Shukla were present at the City Montessori School to watch the mission successfully dock at the ISS.

Published on: Jun 26, 2025, 18:20:56 IST

By Majid Alam

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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.

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's parents Shambhu Shukla and Asha Shukla react as they watch the live broadcast of Axiom 4 space mission in Lucknow. (PTI)

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.

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.

Also Read: Axiom 4 Mission: Dragon capsule carrying Shubhanshu Shukla, 3 other astronauts successfully docks with ISS

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Majid Alam
Majid Alam is a Chief Content Producer working at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi. He currently heads shifts at online desk and manages homepage apart from writing, editing and curating articles. With over six years of experience in journalism, Majid has navigated national, politics and international news. His work primarily focuses on the politics of the Hindi heartland, government policies, and South Asia. He also writes on US and Europe’s policies vis-à-vis India. Before joining Hindustan Times, Majid worked at ABP LIVE as the Chief Copy Editor and at News18, where he managed the World and Explainers sections. His articles have featured in Dialogue Earth, The Quint, BMJ, The Diplomat, and Outlook India. Majid has a keen interest in the use of data for storytelling. Majid holds a Masters in Convergent Journalism from Jamia Millia Islamia. He was awarded the Erasmus+ scholarship to study International Affairs at Sciences Po, Paris in 2020. He is also part of the OCEANS Network, an alumni network of Erasmus+ exchange scholars. He is currently serving as the National Representative (India) at the OCEANS Network. Apart from journalism, Majid has a flair for academic writing and loves to teach. He has published a book chapter: 'Bombay Cinema and Postmodernism' in the book: 'Handbook of Research on Social and Cultural Dynamics in Indian Cinema.' He was also part of the OCEANS Network delegation to Hanoi National University of Education in Vietnam in 2025. He has also given guest lecture in digital journalism at AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia.Read More

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