In a proud moment for India, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is poised to become the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS). Ahead of his historic flight, he declared on X: “India is returning to space, Jai Hind.”

Shukla is scheduled to launch at 2:31 a.m. EDT (12 noon IST) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He will travel aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, launched by a Falcon 9 rocket, as part of the Axiom Space Ax-4 mission.

“Dragon’s hatch is closed, all communication and suit checks are complete, the seats are rotated, and the Ax-4 crew is ready for launch!” Shukla posted just before liftoff.

He also shared an emotional message for his wife, Kamna, on Instagram, writing, “Without you none of this was possible but more importantly none of this would matter,” along with a farewell photo of the couple separated by glass.

The Ax-4 mission, organized by Axiom Space in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, includes an international crew. Shukla will serve as the mission pilot, alongside Commander Peggy Whitson (USA). The other crew members are Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), both serving as mission specialists.

Shukla will become the second Indian to travel to space, after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission.

Onboard the ISS, he will conduct advanced experiments in space nutrition, focusing on microalgae as a sustainable food source for future space missions.

“All systems are looking good… and weather is 90% favorable,” SpaceX confirmed on X ahead of the launch.