New Delhi: A little while ago, when I looked out of the window, we were passing over Hawaii. From here, we see sunrise and sunset 16 times a day, said Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to enter the International Space Station (ISS), during a video interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

Shukla, who became only the second Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma’s historic journey in 1984, reached the ISS on Thursday as part of the international Axiom-4 mission. 

He travelled aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft ‘Grace’, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, completing a 28-hour journey through low Earth orbit. 

Shubhanshu Shukla was warmly welcomed by the ISS crew after docking was completed at 4:15 pm IST.

In his interaction with the Prime Minister, Shukla reflected on his experience so far, calling it transformative. 

“This is not just my journey, but also our country's journey. I am absorbing these new experiences like a sponge,” he said, speaking from the orbiting laboratory where he will spend the next 14 days conducting scientific experiments and public outreach.

Describing the view of Earth from space, Shukla said: “When I saw the Earth from space, the first thing that struck me was that the planet is truly one — no borders are visible. When I saw India, it looked incredibly grand, much larger and more majestic than it appears on a map.” 

The astronaut added that seeing the Earth from above gave him a sense of unity beyond man-made divisions, calling it a humbling and inspiring perspective.

Shukla is joined on the mission by Axiom-4 commander Peggy Whitson, Polish engineer Slawosz Wisniewski, and Hungarian mechanical engineer Tibor Kapu. 

Shortly after entering the station, the crew was greeted with hugs, handshakes, and astronaut pins. 

“I am astronaut 634. It is a privilege to be here,” said Shukla.

In his brief address during the welcome ceremony, he said: “With your love and blessings, I have reached the International Space Station. It looks easy to stand here, but my head is a little heavy, facing some difficulty, but these are minor issues.” 

Expressing his pride, he added, "I have brought the Tricolour with me, and I have brought all of you along with me. In the days to come, this journey will become even more exciting."

(IANS)