India looks full of ambition, fearless, confident and full of pride from space, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla said on Sunday. “Even today, Bharat looks ‘saare jahan se accha‘ from above,” Shukla said reprising the iconic words of India’s first astronaut Rakesh Sharma in 1984.
Calling his journey “incredible” and almost “magical”, Shukla said he is taking with him a lot of memories and learning that he will share with his countrymen.
Shukla was speaking at a farewell ceremony for Axiom-4 mission astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) who are set to begin their return journey to Earth on Monday. His stay at the ISS began on June 26.
The Axiom-4 mission undocks from the ISS on Monday and is expected to splash down off the California coast on Tuesday.
(This is a developing story. Please check back for updates)