New Delhi [India], June 25 (ANI): Former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday hailed Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he embarked on a journey to the International Space Station as part of Axiom Mission 4.

Shukla has become the second Indian astronaut to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma's iconic voyage 41 years ago in 1984.

In a post on X, Kejriwal said, 'A moment of immense pride for the entire nation as IAF Group Captain and astronaut #ShubhanshuShukla embarks on his journey to the International Space Station as part of #AxiomMission4. His contribution to this mission is invaluable. Another Indian makes history in space today - bringing glory, knowledge, and inspiration back home.'

Earlier in the day, Union Minister Jitendra Singh hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to open up the space sector to private players as a 'turning point' that sparked a 'miraculous' transformation.

He projected that the sector could grow to 40-45 billion US dollars in a decade, and added that experiments to be conducted by astronaut Shukla during the Axiom-4 mission will help prepare for future space missions like Chandrayaan-4 and the Bharat Space Station planned for 2035.

'I think one of the greatest turning points in India's space journey has been PM Modi's pathbreaking decision to allow the private sector to step in. The change has been miraculous. The transformation in the last 4-5 years - there are thousands of crores of investment happening from the private sector,' Singh told ANI.

He further said that India's space sector is set for rapid growth in the coming years.'Our future projections indicate that in about 8-10 years we might go up to 4-5 times higher, about 40-45 billion US dollars. So, the opening of the space for the private sector was a very courageous decision which could have been taken only by a political dispensation with a tremendous amount of conviction and willpower,' the Union Minister said.

Referring to India's growing ambitions in space exploration, Singh said the recent Axiom Mission 4 would provide valuable experience for future Indian missions.

'I think it will be a good experience also for future missions. This, coupled with Chandrayaan 4, also for missions like Bharat Space Station, which we plan to have by 2035 and for prolonged stay in space or in microgravity conditions - what are the arrangements to be put in place will also be learnt through the experiments to be conducted by Shubhanshu,' Singh said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also hailed the successful launch of the Axiom Mission 4 and stated that Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is carrying the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indian citizens.'We welcome the successful launch of the Space Mission carrying astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland and the US. The Indian Astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is on the way to become the first Indian to go to the International Space Station. He carries with him the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians. Wish him and other astronauts all the success!' PM Modi said in a post on X.

Singh, in a prior X post following the successful lift-off of Axiom Mission 4, said that India's rise to the status of a 'Viksit Bharat' has begun through space exploration.

'Congratulations, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla -- you are the first Indian Astronaut to embark on a mission to the International Space Station. Indeed,a proud moment for India! ISRO's growing global collaborations, after the reforms introduced by the government headed by PM Narendra Modi, have placed India as a frontline nation in Space exploration,' Singh wrote.

He said Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will carry out seven important experiments designed by Indian institutes. The minister also took the opportunity to remember and honour the visionaries behind India's space ambitions, Vikram Sarabhai and Satish Dhawan.

The Axiom Mission 4 was launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 2:31 am Eastern Time (noon IST). (ANI)