Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, took off successfully at 2:31 a.m. EDT (12 noon IST), from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket.

India is returning to space, Jai Hind, he said ahead of his historic mission to become the first Indian to reach the International Space Station, on Wednesday. 

“India is returning to space, Jai Hind,” Shukla wrote on X, just before the launch of the mission.

“Dragon’s hatch is closed, all communication and suit checks are complete, the seats are rotated, and the Ax-4 crew is ready for launch!” he added.