The Axiom-4 astronauts arrived at the International Space Station on Thursday morning, including the first Indian to set foot on the space station.
The crew exited the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and opened the hatch to enter the ISS at about 8:14 a.m. ET after docking at 6:13 a.m., NASA said.
Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, European Space Agency astronaut Slavos Uznanski-Wisniewski, Hungarian astronaut Tibor Capu and Indian Research Organization astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will spend two weeks on the space station conducting 60 science experiments “focused on human exploration, Earth observation, life sciences, biology and materials,” SpaceX said.
Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS.
“What an adventure!” he said, adding that it was “an amazing feeling just floating in space” and that “it was fun,” Shukla shared about his first 24 hours in space.
“I'm enjoying the views, the experiences and learning again, like a child, to manage myself, eat and read,” he added.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X, said Shukla “carries with him the dreams, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians.” “Wishing him and the other astronauts great success!”
Following Rakesh Sharma's flight 41 years ago, Shukla became the second Indian to travel into space.
“I wish you all the best. Safe travels to the crew,” he said in a video message posted on the Press Trust of India website.
“Spend as much time as possible looking out the window,” he added.
“He is the first human, the first Indian on the ISS. It is a big moment for us Indians,” student Isma Tarikh told Reuters. “It inspires me… I also want to become someone great and contribute to humanity like (Shukla).”
“It inspires me to become a space scientist. I have always loved reading about science fiction and things like that, but it inspires us students,” another student, Mohammad Hamougan, told Reuters.
Sourse: www.upi.com
