Proud, Not Nervous: Family Of India's 'Prime Astronaut' For Space Mission

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's family in Lucknow is filled with pride as congratulatory greetings keep pouring in on his selection for an upcoming Indo-US mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

His father Shambhu Dayal Shukla, a retired government officer, said the family is not nervous about the expedition, but filled with pride for his achievement, while his mother Asha Shukla described Shubhanshu, their youngest child, as "cool-minded" who handles every situation without losing his temper.

On Friday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that Group Captains Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair have been selected for the mission to the ISS.

Shubhanshu Shukla's name has been recommended as the primary astronaut and Mr Nair will be his backup, the ISRO said.

This has been done on the recommendation of the NASA-identified service provider Axiom Space Inc, sources in the ISRO told PTI.

The announcement led to celebrations at the Mr Shukla family's home in Lucknow's Triveni Nagar area.

"We are very happy and feel proud of his achievements. We are praying to God that the mission becomes successful, which we are confident about. People of the country are also showering their blessings," Mr Shambhu told PTI Videos.

The fighter pilot's father said he spoke to Shubhanshu on Friday when he was informed about his selection for the mission.

Asked if Shubhanshu had any inclination towards space since childhood, his father said "not really".

He said he worked in the secretariat and wanted his son to opt for a career in civil services or medicine "but one's destiny is chosen by God".

Hailing Shubhanshu's achievements, he said, "My child has been successful in every step. He got selected for the Air Force, then by the ISRO and now for the space mission." Shubhanshu Shukla is the youngest of the four siblings.

"Neither me nor my son or anyone in the family is nervous about the mission. We don't get into negative thoughts, we do our prayers and leave the rest on the Almighty. We believe whatever He does is the right thing," Mr Dayal said.

"Guardians are always happy when a child succeeds and in this case, he is going to such great heights that we never imagined," he added.

Ms Asha said her son's achievements have made the family "extremely happy".

"He informed us 3-4 ago back about this mission and we are extremely happy. There is no nervousness. Once in a while we hear about something negative about such missions, but we have put our faith in God," she told PTI Videos.

Recollecting her son's childhood, Asha said Shubhanshu was like any other child but also brilliant at studies.

"We had an inkling that he would do something great in life. He is very cool-minded and never loses his temper whatever the situation be. He handles situations smoothly," she added.

Ever since the news broke out about Subhanshu being selected for the space mission, the family's phones have been buzzing constantly with calls from well-wishers.

Celebrations also broke out at the fighter pilot's alma mater City Montessori School here over the achievements of its distinguished alumnus.

"Shubhanshu studied in CMS Aliganj Campus I, Lucknow, from age 3 to 18 before joining the NDA and later the Indian Air Force," the school said in a post on Facebook.

"Shubhanshu will join the Axiom 4 mission to the ISS, collaborating with NASA and ISRO, and working alongside astronaut Peggy Whitson. This mission will mark a significant milestone in space-flight cooperation between ISRO and NASA. Earlier Shubhanshu was chosen to man ISRO's first human-manned space mission Gaganyaan," it said.

"Shubhanshu is a distinguished fighter pilot with over 2,000 flying hours," it said.

"Congratulations, Shubhanshu! We are all incredibly proud of you," the school added.

His sister Suchi Shukla said, "He has given us another opportunity to feel proud. It feels wonderful that he will literally touch new heights in a few days to come." 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)