The family of Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of Lucknow is extremely proud of his selection for the upcoming Indo-US mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
His father Shambhu Dayal Shukla, a retired government official, said the family was not nervous about the expedition but proud of his achievement, while his mother Asha Shukla described their youngest The child Shubhanshu is a “calm-headed” person who can handle everything well.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Friday announced that team captains Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair have been selected for the mission to the International Space Station.
ISRO said Shubhanshu has been recommended as the primary astronaut and Nair will be his backup astronaut.
Sources in ISRO told PTI that this was done on the advice of Axiom Space Inc, the service provider identified by NASA.
The news triggered celebrations at the Shukla family's home in Lucknow's Triveni Nagar area.
“We are very happy and proud of his achievement. We pray to God to make our mission successful and we are confident about it. People across the country are also expressing their blessings.
The fighter pilot's father said he spoke to Shubhanshu on Friday when he was informed that he had been selected for the mission.
When asked if Shubhanshu had been interested in space since childhood, his father said “no”.
He said that he worked in the secretariat and hoped that his son would choose a career in civil service or medicine, “but man's destiny is chosen by God.”
Praising Shubhanshu's achievements, he said, “My boy has achieved success every step of the way. He was selected for the Air Force, then for the Indian Space Research Organization and now for the space mission. Shubhanshu is a fourth The youngest of two siblings.
“Neither I, my son, nor anyone else in the family is nervous about this mission. We don't get caught up in negative thoughts, we pray and leave the rest to Almighty God. We trust Him in everything he does. is correct,” Dayal said.
“Guardians are always happy when a child succeeds, and in this case, he will reach heights we have never imagined,” he added.
Asha said the family was “very happy” about their son's achievement.
“He informed us about this mission three or four years ago and we are very happy. There is no tension. We occasionally hear negative things about such missions, but we have put our trust in God,” she told PTI Videos.
Recalling her son's childhood, Asha said Shubhanshu was like other children but also excelled academically.
“We had a feeling he was going to do great things in life. He was very level-headed and would never lose his temper no matter what the situation. He handled things very well,” she added.
Ever since the news broke that Subhanshu was selected for the space mission, the family's phones have been flooded with calls from well-wishers.
Celebrations also broke out at the fighter pilot's alma mater, City Montessori School, to celebrate the achievements of its distinguished alumni.
“Shubhanshu studied at CMS Aliganj Campus I, Lucknow from the age of 3 to 18 and later joined the NDA and later the Indian Air Force,” the school said in a Facebook post.
“Shubhanshu will be part of the Axiom 4 mission to the International Space Station, in collaboration with NASA and ISRO, and will work with astronaut Peggy Whitson. The mission will mark a major milestone in aerospace cooperation between ISRO and NASA. Earlier , Shubhanshu has been selected as the head of Gaganyaan, ISRO's first manned space mission,” it said.
“Shubhanshu is an outstanding fighter pilot with over 2,000 hours of flying time,” the statement read.
“Congratulations, Shu Bangshu! We are all extremely proud of you.
His sister Suchi Shukla said: “He's given us another chance to be proud. He's going to really reach new heights in the next few days and that feels great.
(This report has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from United News Agency-PTI)
