Amid cheers and shrieks of joy, the crowd at the City Montessori School in Lucknow, the alma mater of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, watched him lift off into space from the Kennedy Space Centre (KSC) in Florida on Wednesday (June 25, 2025).

As the rocket carrying the Lucknow boy and three others pierced through the Florida skies, Group Captain Shukla became only the second Indian astronaut to undertake a space flight, 41 years after another space icon, Rakesh Sharma.

At the school on Kanpur Road, the students were joined by the parents of the experienced Indian Air Force test pilot in watching the live broadcast of the Axiom-4 mission. Group Captain Shukla’s parents became emotional as the mission lifted off sucessfully. “It is a proud moment for all of us. What more should I say at this moment. My blessings are always there with my son,” his father Shambhu Shukla told the media. “I have nothing more to say. I am delighted. Everyone is happy and jubilant, my son made all of us proud,” his mother Asha Shukla added.

The event was part of the school’s “Vyomotsav”, an “immersive watch-party” that transformed the campus into a vibrant “mini-space centre”.

People across Lucknow too celebrated the local boy’s space journey, with people dancing and distributing sweets at the busy Hazratganj intersection. Posters were also put up congratulating him.

Congratulating the Lucknow-born astronaut, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described the space mission as a wonderful example of India’s scientific progress and global cooperation.

“This is a proud moment for India. Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Axiom Mission 4’s Mission Pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on this historic achievement. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary leadership, India’s participation in this international space mission shows our commitment to scientific progress and global cooperation. Best wishes for the upcoming mission. Jai Hind,” wrote the CM, on X.