NEW DELHI: India witnessed a deja vu moment on Saturday after Axiom-4 pilot Shubhanshu Shukla interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi from International Space Station and claimed that “India looks truly majestic from the space”41 years ago, astronaut Rakesh Sharma, first Indian to go into space, had said “saare jahan se acha Hindustan humara” when former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had asked him how India looks from space.Sharma was part of the Soviet Union’s Soyuz T-11 expedition, which was launched on April 2, 1984. The astronaut spoke to Indira Gandhi from space during a joint television news conference, which also included officials in Moscow.
Shukla went a step further and proclaimed the message of “oneness” and ” Unity in Diversity.”“The thing that really stood out was when I saw India for the first time from space. India looks truly majestic and much larger than what we perceive on maps. The feeling of oneness that the Earth gives, the very essence of our motto ‘Unity in Diversity’, becomes deeply meaningful when seen from above,” Shukla said while interacting with PM Modi.“One realize that borders don’t really exist, states don’t exist, countries don’t exist in that view. Ultimately, we are all part of humanity, and Earth is our one shared home. We are all its citizens,” he added.During the interaction, Shukla also said that this journey is not his but of whole nation.“Thank you, PM Modi, for your wishes and the wishes of 140 crore Indians. I am fine and safe here. I am feeling very good, this is a new experience…This journey is not only mine but the journey of the whole nation,” Shukla said.“Under your leadership, today’s India offers numerous opportunities to fulfil their dreams…I am feeling very proud to represent India here,” he added.The Dragon capsule carrying the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) crew, including Group Captain Shukla, successfully docked with the International Space Station on Thursday, marking a historic milestone as the first Indian to reach the orbiting laboratory.Shukla is the first Indian to cross the ‘Karman line’ in more than 41 years, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s historic mission aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11.The spacecraft completed soft docking at 16: 02 IST, with full docking achieved by 16:16 IST. Launched a day earlier from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center, the capsule followed a standard 28-hour Dragon mission profile, executing a series of precise orbit-raising manoeuvres as it chased down the ISS, a routine flight for the capsule, but a landmark moment for Shukla and Indian spaceflight history.
