India looks full of ambition, fearless, confident and full of pride from
space, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla said on Sunday.
"Even today, Bharat looks 'saare jahan se accha' from above,"
Shukla said reprising the iconic words of India's first astronaut Rakesh Sharma
in 1984.
Shukla was speaking at a farewell ceremony for Axiom-4 mission astronauts
on the International Space Station (ISS) who are set to begin their return
journey to Earth on Monday.
"It almost seems magical to me... It has been a fantastic journey
for me," Shukla said of his stay at the ISS which began on June 26.
The
Indian astronaut said he was taking with him a lot of memories and learning
that he will share with his countrymen.
The Axiom-4 mission undocks from the ISS on Monday and is expected to
splash down off the California coast on Tuesday.