As Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla scripted history by flying to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Axiom-4 mission, his father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, spoke to CNN-News18 and said he was filled with pride, gratitude, and blessings.
鈥淚 am feeling very happy. It鈥檚 a proud moment for us,鈥 said the visibly elated father.
鈥淢y son has made the nation proud,鈥 he said.
Describing Shubhanshu鈥檚 journey as one of perseverance and focus, Shambhu Shukla credited his son鈥檚 unyielding dedication for the achievement.
鈥淥nly 10 per cent of it is our support, 90 per cent is Shubhanshu鈥檚 hard work,鈥 he said.
鈥淗e was never nervous. He always enjoyed his work and stayed focused,鈥 Shubhanshu Shukla鈥檚 father said.
He recalled how Shubhanshu鈥檚 ambition took shape early on during his training days.
鈥淎fter joining the Union Public Service Commission鈥檚 NDA, he made up his mind to work hard and become a fighter pilot. He has always taken everyone along with him, never leaving anyone behind,鈥 he said.
The mission to the ISS is seen as a precursor to India鈥檚 ambitious human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, something Shubhanshu has also been preparing for.
鈥淢y son was preparing for Gaganyaan. This mission is a step in that direction,鈥 said Shambhu Shukla.
The proud father also noted that physical and mental discipline were the key to his son鈥檚 journey.
鈥淪hubhanshu was always physically fit. He worked very hard on his physical strength,鈥 he added.
With the successful launch now complete, the family continues to keep their hopes and prayers strong for his safe return.
鈥淭his is a big mission for Shubhanshu. I will keep praying for the successful completion of the mission and his safe return.鈥
With a message of optimism, Shambhu Shukla said, 鈥淭here is no work that cannot be done. With hard work, anything is possible.鈥
The much-delayed Axiom-4 mission blasted off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 12:01 pm IST towards the ISS amid cheers from watch parties organised across the world, including at Shukla鈥檚 City Montessori School in Lucknow, where his parents witnessed the historic launch.
The Lucknow-born Shukla, former NASA astronaut Mission Commander Peggy Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are part of the Axiom-4 mission that marks the return to space for the three nations.
Shukla became the first astronaut to travel to the International Space Station, a journey that comes 41 years after Rakesh Sharma鈥檚 eight days in orbit as part of the then Soviet Union鈥檚 Salyut-7 space station in 1984.
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