PM Modi Interacts with Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Aboard ISS, Hails Historic Space Mission

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday interacted via video conferencing with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force, who is currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission.

Shukla, who lifted off aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on June 25, became the first Indian astronaut in over four decades to journey into space, marking a historic milestone for India’s space program.

The Prime Minister’s Office shared a photo of their virtual conversation on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “PM @narendramodi interacted with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is aboard the International Space Station.”

Following the launch, PM Modi had congratulated Shukla—who is serving as the mission pilot—and extended best wishes to the rest of the crew: mission commander Peggy Whitson, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

Hailing the achievement, the Prime Minister had said Shukla carried with him “the wishes, hopes, and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians.”

The Axiom-4 mission successfully docked with the ISS on Thursday, beginning the crew’s scheduled two-week stay aboard the station. During the mission, the astronauts will conduct more than 60 scientific experiments, technology demonstrations, and outreach initiatives in microgravity. Shukla will lead seven of these experiments.

The mission also represents a key collaboration between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), fulfilling a promise made during a past meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Modi to send an Indian astronaut to the ISS.

In his first message from space, Shukla said, “It is a privilege to be here.” Reflecting on the experience, he added, “Whatever expectations I had of coming here were surpassed by the view… and by the incredible team around me. I’m confident the next 14 days will be amazing for advancing science and research.”