Shubhanshu Shukla Bids Farewell from ISS, Honours India’s Space Legacy

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s farewell address from the ISS capped India’s historic Axiom-4 mission. In his brief speech before returning to Earth, Shukla struck a note of national pride and scientific accomplishment. He marvelled that from orbit “India looks full of ambition, fearless, confident and full of pride”, even echoing Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 words that Bharat (India) still appears “saare jahan se accha” (the best in the world). His remarks highlighted how far India’s space effort has come, framing this private mission as a continuation of a proud space legacy.

A Vision of India from Orbit

Shukla’s words in his farewell speech painted a vivid picture of India as seen from space, as per an NDTV report. By invoking Rakesh Sharma’s famous phrase, he connected the first Indian in space to this new achievement. He stressed that today’s India, like the one Sharma described, projects ambition and confidence on the global stage.

This proud vision from orbit underscored the mission’s role in inspiring public enthusiasm. It also served as a reminder that India’s human spaceflight journey is now firmly under way: as Shukla put it, the challenging path of space exploration “has truly begun” for his country. In these remarks, Shukla celebrated India’s progress while encouraging citizens to embrace the long road ahead.

Science and Collaboration on Axiom-4

Beyond national pride, Shukla emphasized the mission’s scientific legacy. He noted that the 18-day trip aboard ISS surpassed his expectations, yielding “fond memories and learnings”. Along with crewmates from the US, Poland and Hungary, Shukla carried out dozens of experiments in microgravity – over 60 in all, including seven India-led studies on topics like plant growth and muscle loss.

These experiments represent a leap in space science for India, as ISRO confirmed they will provide “critical knowledge” for future efforts like India’s Gaganyaan flight programme and its proposed space station.

Shukla also praised the team effort aboard the ISS, saying the biggest takeaway was realizing “what humanity can achieve when we work with a common goal”. In other words, the mission demonstrated both scientific progress and international cooperation.