Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla said it best when he remarked that the tiny Indian flag he is carrying to space represents each of the 140 crore Indians. His words capture the pride and significance of his mission—India’s most ambitious human spaceflight effort since Rakesh Sharma’s historic journey 41 years ago.

Group Captain Shukla, the pilot of the Dragon spacecraft, is the first Indian on board the ISS. He was the second to enter the station, after mission commander Peggy Whitson of the US, shortly after 5.

Nellore: Indian Air Force’s Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Thursday became the first Indian to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS), a step that could help India in accomplishing its manned space mission and manned lunar mission.