New Delhi: Indian Air Force Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, at the farewell ceremony of the Axiom-4 space mission, called his journey “incredible,” while delivering an emotional address filled with pride, reflection, and hope for India’s future in space exploration.
“It has been an incredible journey, made even more special by the amazing people involved,” Shukla said, thanking all those who contributed to the mission’s success. He ended with a powerful message: “If we make a firm resolve, even the stars are attainable.”
Ax-4 Mission | Farewell Ceremony https://t.co/QGDDfXD84R
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Looking back at India’s space legacy, Shukla recalled how Rakesh Sharma, India’s first man in space, described the country from orbit 41 years ago. “Now people ask how India looks today,” he said — and answered in stirring Hindi:
“Aaj ka Bharat space se mahatvakanshi dikhta hai, nidar dikhta hai, confident dikhta hai, garv se poorn dikhta hai… aur isliye, aaj bhi Bharat sare jahan se achha dikhta hai.”
(Today’s India looks ambitious, fearless, confident, and full of pride from space… and that’s why, even today, India looks better than the rest of the world.)
Shukla noted that while his own mission is ending, India’s larger human spaceflight journey is just beginning. “Aapki aur meri yatra abhi bahut lambi hai (Our journey is still very long),” he said, reinforcing his faith in the country’s space ambitions and its people.
