Why Shubhanshu Shukla's Launch To Space Has An SRK Connection

When Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla soared into space aboard the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), he took a piece of India with him. Not only in spirit but in song.

Composer AR Rahman's iconic track Yun Hi Chala Chal from the 2004 Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Swades was Mr Shukla's chosen anthem for launch day.

The song, with its message of perseverance and moving forward, couldn't have been a more fitting companion as Mr Shukla lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Wednesday. It was part of a special launch-day playlist, personally curated by the Ax-4 crew, and shared by Axiom Space on X with the caption, "Pass the Aux! The #Ax4 crew share their launch-day playlist."

Mr Shukla's pick was one of four tracks selected by each astronaut on the Ax-4 mission:

• Commander Peggy Whitson (USA) - Thunder by Imagine Dragons.
• Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland) - Supermonce, a Polish track.
• Tibor Kapu (Hungary) - Bvhely, a traditional Hungarian song.

Pass the Aux! The #Ax4 crew share their launch-day playlist. pic.twitter.com/YwCp0Is6cF

— Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) June 25, 2025

The Axiom 4 mission, operated by Houston-based Axiom Space, is part of a growing number of private missions to the International Space Station (ISS). Mr Shukla is now the second Indian astronaut to reach space as part of a commercial space mission and the first one aboard the ISS.

Shortly after entering orbit, Shubhanshu Shukla addressed his fellow countrymen with an emotional video message, "Namaskar, my dear countrymen! What a ride! We are back in space after 41 years. We're orbiting Earth at 7.5 km per second. The Tiranga on my shoulder reminds me that I carry all of you with me."

The Ax-4 crew launched aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon, which was set to autonomously dock with the ISS after a 28-hour flight, cruising at an altitude of around 400 km above Earth. Upon arrival, the crew is expected to be greeted by the current station residents: three American astronauts, one Japanese astronaut, and three Russian cosmonauts.