New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is aboard the International Space Station, via video conferencing.
The Prime Minister’s Office posted the news on its official X handle, along with a picture of a smiling Modi interacting with astronaut Shubhanshu.
Shubhanshu told Modi that India looks grand from space.
“When we saw India for the first time, we saw that India really looks grand, very big, in fact, much bigger than what we see on the map. When we see the Earth from outside, it seems that no border exists, no state exists, no countries exist. We all are part of humanity. The Earth is our one home and all of us are in it,” Shubhanshu said.
The PM started the conversation by telling the astronaut that though he was far away from the motherland, he was closest to the hearts of 1.4 billion Indians.
“Aapke naam mein bhi shubh hai aur aapki yatra naye yug ka shubharambh bhi hai (Even your name carries the word auspicious, and your journey marks a new and hopeful beginning, a shubh aarambh, for the youth of our nation),” Modi said.
“Right now, while we are speaking, the feelings of 140 crore Indians are connected with you. I stand here representing the excitement, pride, and hopes of every Indian. As you carry our national flag into outer space, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and wish you the very best for your mission,” Modi added, enquiring about Shubhanshu’s health and state.
The astronaut said he was safe and doing fine aboard the ISS, calling it a “whole new experience”.
“I would like to thank you and 140 crore Indians for their wishes. I am extremely fine and safe here. I am extremely glad, and this is a whole new experience. My 400 km journey from the Earth to orbit is not just my journey, but of the entire country. When I was young, I never felt that I could become an astronaut. However, under your leadership, the country has the opportunity to fulfil its dreams,” Shubhanshu said.
#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is aboard the International Space Station.
PM Modi says “At this time only the two of us are talking, but the feelings of 140 crore Indians are also with me. My voice contains the… pic.twitter.com/OcOupbKVIz
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2025
#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is aboard the International Space Station.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla says, “Thank you, PM Modi, for your wishes and the wishes of 140 crore Indians. I am fine and safe here. I am… pic.twitter.com/C67rEwz7mY
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2025
“Everything is different here. We trained for a year and I learnt about different systems. But after coming here, everything changed. Here even small things are different because there is no gravity in space. Sleeping here is a big challenge. It takes some time to get used to this environment,” Shubhanshu expressed.
Giving Shubhanshu a “special homework”, Modi said India was keen to advance the Gaganyaan (human spacecraft) mission, build a made-in-India space station and landing Indian astronauts on the Moon.
“Your historic journey will further strengthen students’ resolve to explore space. Your experience will be the foundation of this journey,” Modi told Shubhanshu.
The astronaut stressed the need to maintain calmness in space.
“Mindfulness plays a crucial role. We face many stressful situations, but mindfulness helps us to stay calm. If you stay calm, then you can make good decisions. So, mindfulness plays a crucial role.”
Sending out a message for Indian youth, Shubhanshu said, “I have learnt a lot during my training and my journey. I feel this, my journey, is a collective achievement for our entire country. I have a message for young people — sky is never the limit,” before signing off with ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’.
On June 25, after multiple delays, Shubhanshu and three other astronauts jetted off to the ISS on board SpaceX’s Dragon capsule from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre, as part of the Axiom-4 mission.
It’s a historic mission for India as Shubhanshu became only the second from his country to travel to space, following Rakesh Sharma’s mission in 1984.
Shubhanshu’s fellow astronauts on the Axiom-4 mission are Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, the second Polish astronaut since 1978, Tibor Kapu, the second Hungarian in space after a 45-year hiatus, and commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, a former NASA astronaut who now works for Axiom Space.
