'India is a partner, not a passenger': Ex-ISRO chief Somanath says Shukla's ISS journey will help Gaganyaan

Former ISRO chief S Somanath on Thursday said that Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's presence on the Axiom-4 mission "will significantly bolster our Gaganyaan mission," marking a crucial step for India's human spaceflight program. As the Ax-4 capsule closes in on the International Space Station (ISS), Somanath described it as a moment where "India is not just a passenger...we are a partner, a participant, and a future-ready crew."

Shubhanshu Shukla on Wednesday became the first Indian astronaut to travel to the ISS, joining three other crew members aboard Axiom Space’s commercial Ax-4 mission. The spacecraft lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 12:01 pm IST, with live watch parties held across the world — including in Shukla's hometown Lucknow, where his parents viewed the launch from City Montessori School.

The mission marks India's return to space crewed missions after 41 years, the last being Rakesh Sharma's eight-day journey aboard the Soviet Union's Salyut-7 in 1984.

"His presence will significantly bolster our Gaganyaan mission, adding experiential depth to planning, life science payloads and long duration spaceflight goals,” said Somanath. He stressed that the Ax-4 mission is not just symbolic, but a sign of India's evolving role in global space research.

The mission carries Indian experiments focused on tardigrade survival in microgravity, seed germination, human-technology interaction, and cyanobacteria nitrogen usage. “These are not one off science projects. They are building blocks for future Indian space stations and deep space settlements,” Somanath noted.

Calling it a "profound shift from being technology receivers to co-creators,” Somanath linked the mission’s relevance to former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam’s vision of “spinoffs for society, science for self reliance."

In his first live call from space, Shukla greeted viewers with a “namaskar” and shared his early experience aboard the ISS. “I’m still getting used to zero gravity — like a baby learning how to walk, figuring out how to move and control myself. But I’m really enjoying every moment,” he said with a laugh.

“Seeing the Indian tricolour reminded me that all of you are with me on this journey. This is a strong step forward for India’s human space program and for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission. I want each one of you to feel like a part of this mission. It’s not just about technical ambition — it’s about the spirit and purpose behind the entire journey,” he added. 

Somanath concluded with a personal note: "I can visualise how schoolchildren across the length and breadth of India, especially in remote villages, will watch today's development with eyes wide open. It is this India I once belonged to. An India of dreams and aspirations. We are not space tourists. We are space thinkers."