In the early hours of Wednesday, India marked a new chapter in its space journey. At 2:31 AM ET (12:01 PM IST), the Falcon-9 rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Onboard the Axiom-4 mission’s Dragon capsule, named Grace, was Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, serving as the mission pilot.

Just minutes after entering orbit, Shukla radioed back to Earth. “Namaskar, mere pyaare desh vasiyon,” he said. “What a ride! We are orbiting Earth at a velocity of 7.5km per second (27,000 kmph).”

Soon after, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the crew. He wrote that Shukla “is on the way to become the first Indian to go to the ISS.”

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

India Returns to Human Spaceflight After 41 Years

Notably, Shukla is the first Indian to cross the Karman line—the edge of space—since 1984. That year, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma flew aboard a Soviet mission.

This time, Shukla shared a deeper message from space. He said, “This isn't the beginning of my journey to ISS, but beginning of India's human space flight programme.”

As a result, India now plans to send astronauts to the Moon and build its own space station by 2035.

After Delays, Axiom-4 Mission Lifts Off

After multiple postponements, the Axiom-4 mission launched successfully. The international crew includes:

• Peggy Whitson (65, USA) – Commander

• Shubhanshu Shukla (39, India) – Pilot

• Sławosz Uznanski (41, Poland) – Mission Specialist

• Tibor Kapu (34, Hungary) – Mission Specialist

Together, they will spend 14 days on the International Space Station (ISS).

Earlier, the astronauts waved to their families before heading to the launchpad in a Tesla. Once inside the capsule, they completed final checks.

Then, the rocket lifted off smoothly. After 9 minutes and 38 seconds, the Dragon capsule separated from the second stage and started its journey to the ISS.

Dragon Capsule "Grace" Begins Orbit Around Earth

Currently, the capsule named Grace is circling Earth at 27,000 kmph. It completes one orbit every 90 minutes. Moreover, the capsule’s nose cone has opened, revealing sensors and navigation instruments needed for docking.

However, the journey to the ISS isn’t direct. Over the next 24 to 28 hours, the capsule will carry out several timed thruster burns. These moves will fine-tune its orbit to align perfectly with the ISS.

Importantly, even a small delay could miss the narrow docking window. So, Grace uses GPS, radar, and onboard sensors to track and adjust its position in real time.

Docking Sequence to Begin on Thursday

On Thursday, Grace will begin its final approach. First, it will stop at waypoints starting 400 meters away from the ISS. At each point, ground controllers and onboard software will assess conditions before moving forward.

When the capsule reaches 20 meters, laser sensors and cameras will guide it the rest of the way. It will then creep forward at a few centimeters per second. Eventually, Grace will line up with the docking port on the Harmony module. Soft capture comes first—magnetic guides gently pull the capsule in. Then, hard capture follows, as mechanical latches lock it into place.

After that, engineers will run pressure and leak tests. Only then will they approve the hatch to open and allow crew transfer.

Meet Joy, the Fifth Passenger

Alongside the four astronauts, the capsule carries a soft white toy swan named Joy. It serves as the mission’s zero-gravity indicator. Interestingly, Joy holds personal value. Shukla chose it with his six-year-old son Kiash, lovingly called Sid.

Mission specialist Tibor Kapu shared the story. “Our first ideas all included animals,” he said. “We have one kid with the crew, Shux’s kid Sid, who basically just loves animals. We wanted dinosaurs and lions, but we couldn't find the right one. We were extremely happy when we found Joy.”