- Shubhanshu Shukla joined a commercial mission to the International Space Station on Axiom-4
- His family in Lucknow celebrated emotionally as the spacecraft lifted off
- Shukla's mother performed an Indian ritual and fed him dahi cheeni via video call
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla scripted history by embarking on a space journey along with three others to the International Space Station as part of a commercial mission by Axiom Space on Wednesday.
The family of Shubhanshu Shukla back home in Lucknow celebrated and shared an emotional hug as the Axiom-4 spacecraft headed to the International Space Station.
Shubhanshu Shukla's father Shambhu Dayal Shukla, smiled with excitement as the Axiom-4 spacecraft lifted off.
Family of the group captain share an emotional hug soon after Axiom-4 lift-off.
With tears in eyes, Shubhanshu Shukla's mother Asha Shukla felt relieved after the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft lift off with her son.
"We got overwhelmed," Shubhanshu Shukla's mother told media after the spacecraft lift off.
Early in the morning today, Shubhanshu Shukla's mother performed an Indian ritual.
She "fed him" dahi cheeni, a mixture of yoghurt and sugar, virtually, via video call.
Group Captain Shukla is the second Indian astronaut travelling to space, four decades after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma made the cosmic journey as part of a Soviet mission in 1984.
