With eyes welled up and prayers on her lips, Asha Shukla, inundated by a mixed bag of emotions, stared unblinkingly at a large screen as Axiom-4 spacecraft carrying her son, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, headed to the International Space Station on Wednesday.
Seated beside her was Shubhanshu’s father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, smiling with pride over his son’s achievement. They joined the teachers and hundreds of students to watch the historic moment at Shubhanshu’s alma mater -- the City Montessorie School -- in Lucknow, which had made elaborate arrangements, including setting up an LED screen for a live telecast of the space launch.
Ahead of the launch, Asha Shukla expressed her overwhelming joy, saying: “We cannot describe this in words… We are not scared for Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla at all… We are very happy, we are very proud." Her words reflect not just a mother’s immense pride, but also the courage and strength the family shares in supporting Shukla’s extraordinary mission.
“He called early this morning," says the mother while controlling her emotions.
“He said, ‘Maa, it’s happening today.’ I couldn’t hold back my tears. We’ve waited for this moment so long,” says Asha Shukla with a glint of pride in her eyes.
“I just offered Dahi-Chini (curd and sugar) as a ritual of sending good luck to him,” she says, trying to ward off the worries and find solace in the fact that her son has done something extraordinary for the country.
The Shukla household in Aliganj locality of Lucknow was the focal point of celebration and prayers since early morning as family members and neighbours thronged it to be a part of the occasion as one of their ‘very own’ was about to embark upon a historical sojourn.
The streets of Aliganj were buzzing with activity amid the early morning drizzle. Garlands framed doorways, tricolours fluttered on rooftops, and loudspeakers played devotional chants as neighbours gathered outside the home of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla.
Inside the house, anticipation gave way to teary pride as television screens confirmed liftoff. From the break of dawn, Asha Shukla had been leading the household in prayer.
Draped in a yellow saree and clutching a Tulsi Mala, she oscillated between the family’s prayer room and the living room where the live launch stream was being prepared.
“Our daughter-in-law deserves as much credit. She has stood beside Shubhanshu through every stage – when dates were postponed, during sleepless nights, and training schedules across continents. Without her, he couldn’t have reached here," says Asha Shukla while talking about Kamna, Shubhanshu’s wife and a dentist by profession.
Shambhu Dayal Shukla, a retired officer of UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL), looks overwhelmed with emotions as the rocket lifts off. “I have no words," he says, eyes glistening. “Just gratitude – for the Indian Air Force, for this country, and for our son, who is now carrying our hopes to the stars," he says while sharing the moment with family, and the teachers and students of City Montessorie School, Aliganj branch, just a few yards from his house.
Hundreds of students sat cross-legged, their eyes glued to the screen, watching a former student reach out to the stars.
When asked what it felt like to see his son become a spacefarer, he paused before answering, “He is not just going to space. He is carrying Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, and all of India with him."
Born in Lucknow in 1986, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is a trained fighter pilot of the IAF. A graduate of the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA), he was commissioned into the Air Force in 2006. He is also one of the astronauts shortlisted by ISRO for its ambitious Gaganyaan mission, expected to launch in 2027.
Shubhanshu underwent astronaut training in Russia and the United States, where he specialised in orbital mechanics, emergency procedures, and scientific research in microgravity. Known for his discipline and calm demeanour, he represents a new generation of Indian space explorers — technically sound, globally trained, and mission-focused.
As the rocket climbed skyward, cheers erupted in the Shukla home and outside in the lanes. Neighbours rang bells, burst firecrackers, and waved the national flag. Children chanted his name as elders distributed sweets.
As Falcon-9 disappeared into the clouds, people in Aliganj looked up not just at a rocket, but at limitless possibilities. Shopkeepers of the locality downed their shutters for a minute of silent pride, temples and mosques echoed with prayers for a safe stay of their ‘very own’ among the unknown mysteries of space for the next 14 days.