'Namaskar from space': Shubhanshu Shukla’s first message as Axiom-4 heads to ISS with 'Joy' the swan (WATCH)

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla sent his first message from space saying 'Namaskar from space' during the Axiom-4 mission. Aboard SpaceX Dragon, Shukla said he’s learning like a baby and flying with a swan toy named ‘Joy’.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a pilot in the Indian Air Force, was launched into space on June 25 as part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). The launch took place from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:01 PM IST. This marks a major milestone for India, as he becomes the first Indian to go to the International Space Station (ISS).

He is also only the second Indian to go to space, after Rakesh Sharma's historic mission in 1984.

Shubhanshu says 'Namaskar from space': Watch his message

NASA and Axiom Space streamed the launch live. The clip of Shukla’s 'Namaskar from space' is now circulating on social media and news networks.

Shubhanshu Shukla sent second first message from space. Speaking from inside the SpaceX Dragon capsule, he greeted, “Namaskar from space!”

He described the liftoff as exciting and powerful.

“What a ride it was! When I was sitting in the capsule, the only thought was ‘let’s just go.’ Then suddenly, nothing. You are just floating in the silence of vacuum,” Shukla said with a big smile.

He added that he is ‘learning like a baby’ in microgravity and enjoying the peaceful views of Earth.

A swan called 'Joy' floats in Dragon

Along with the crew, a soft toy swan named ‘Joy’ is floating in the spacecraft. It is the zero-gravity indicator for the mission, a small object astronauts carry to show they’ve entered space.

Shukla explained that in Indian culture, the swan is a symbol of wisdom.

The moment 'Joy' started to float was also the moment the crew knew they were weightless.

Mission launched from NASA Kennedy Space Center

The Axiom-4 mission launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 12:01 PM IST on June 25.

Shukla is travelling with:

• Peggy Whitson (USA) – Mission Commander
• Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland) – Mission Specialist
• Tibor Kapu (Hungary) – Mission Specialist

The crew is flying in SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, which sits on top of a Falcon 9 rocket.

‘This is not just my achievement’

In his message, Shukla thanked his family, friends, and supporters.

“This is not a personal accomplishment. It is a collective achievement,” he said.

He also joked that he felt some discomfort at first but is now getting rest and adapting to life in space.

Axiom-4 to dock at ISS today

The Dragon capsule is expected to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) on June 26 at 4:30 PM IST (7:00 AM EDT).

Once docked, Shukla will become the first Indian ever to reach the ISS, and only the second Indian in space, after Rakesh Sharma in 1984.