New Delhi: In a historic feat for India, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Thursday docked the Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station under the private astronaut mission Axiom Mission 4.
The Dragon spacecraft autonomously docked to the space-facing port of the space station’s Harmony module at around 4 pm IST on Thursday, ahead of its schedule. This is the first time in more than 40 years that astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary arrived at the International Space Station.
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“Dragon spacecraft docked with the @Space_Station at 6:31am ET (1031 UTC),” NASA said in a post on X.
The spacecraft, named Grace, achieved a soft capture with the space station at 4:01 pm IST over the North Atlantic ocean. The docking sequence was completed at 4:15 pm IST. This is the first time an Indian has reached the International Space Station.
Along with Shubhanshu Shukla, Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ESA (European Space Agency) astronauts Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary were also part of the team that docked at the ISS.
NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers monitored Dragon’s automated approach and docking manoeuvres. The docking comes 28 hours after the Dragon spacecraft launched successfully after days of delay.
The seven-member Expedition 73 team will welcome the Ax-4 team aboard the ISS and will give them a safety briefing.
Earlier, in a live interaction from aboard the spacecraft, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, serving as the mission pilot, described the launch as “magical” and reflected on his journey.
“I am thrilled to be here with my fellow astronauts–what a ride it was. Honestly, as I sat in the capsule ‘Grace’ on the launchpad yesterday after 30 days of quarantine, all I could think was: just go. When the launch finally happened, it was something else entirely. You’re pushed back into the seat–and then suddenly, there’s silence. You’re just floating in the vacuum, and it’s magical,” Shukla said.
He expressed gratitude to the mission team, calling the experience a “collective achievement.” “I truly appreciate the efforts of every individual who made this journey possible. It’s not just a personal accomplishment–it belongs to all of us,” he said.
Shubhanshu Shukla, a serving officer (Group Captain) in the Indian Air Force, has been selected as one of the astronauts for India’s upcoming Gaganyaan Mission, alongside Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan, and Angad Prathap. His flight aboard Axiom Mission 4 makes him the first Gaganyatri to travel to space, the second Indian national to do so since 1984, and the first Indian to head to the International Space Station. This milestone is expected to provide valuable insights for ISRO, as the agency prepares to conduct at least three uncrewed Gaganyaan missions this year to validate its hardware’s safety and reliability before the first crewed launch, planned for 2026.
