The Shukla household in Lucknow erupted with emotion on Thursday as Axiom Mission 4 successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS), marking a historic moment for India’s presence in global space. Asha Shukla, mother of Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, silently prayed with tears of joy, while his father Shambhu Dayal Shukla beamed with pride, watching the live telecast. Simultaneously, Shubhanshu’s former school celebrated with spontaneous applause, cheers, and waving Tirangas, commemorating their alumnus's achievement.

At 39 years old, Shubhanshu Shukla became the second Indian to enter space, following Rakesh Sharma’s mission in 1984. The spacecraft, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, took 28 hours to reach the orbiting laboratory. Ahead of the mission, Shukla had reassured his family with a simple message: