'Shubhanshu Shukla carries with him hopes of 1.4bn Indians': PM Modi hails Axiom-4 launch; wishes crew success

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed the successful launch of the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station , saying Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla carries with him the "wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians ."

In a post on X, PM Modi said, “We welcome the successful launch of the space mission carrying astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland and the US.”

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,…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2025

Highlighting the significance of the moment, PM Modi mentioned that Group Captain Shukla is set to become the first Indian to travel to the ISS.

"He carries with him the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians. Wish him and other astronauts all the success," he added.

The Axiom-4 mission lifted off from Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:01 pm IST on Wednesday.

The crew will spend 14 days aboard the ISS conducting over 60 scientific experiments , with India, Hungary and Poland returning to space after decades.