Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS), recently revealed his profound reflections from orbit, calling his voyage “a wonderful ride.”
Speaking from space, Shukla expressed his gratitude for being among the few who have had the opportunity to see Earth from such a unique vantage point, emphasizing the awe-inspiring experience of seeing the world from above. He emphasized how this perspective lets one appreciate the privilege of living on Earth.
Shukla’s comments occurred in the context of the Axiom Space Ax-4 project, which aims to increase access to low Earth orbit (LEO) and stimulate international collaboration in space exploration. Axiom Space emphasized the mission’s importance in developing infrastructure for exploration and a thriving space economy that benefits humanity worldwide.
The Ax-4 mission is a collaborative effort between key partners such as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the European Space Agency (ESA), Poland’s space agency POLSA, and the Polish Ministry of Development and Technology, and it represents a significant step forward for global space cooperation.
Shukla participated in outreach initiatives while on the ISS, including using ham radio to communicate with students at the UR Rao Satellite Centre in Karnataka. He talked about life on the ISS, including the physical obstacles of living in microgravity, the exhilaration of international teamwork, and the camaraderie among crew members from the US, Poland, and Hungary.
He stressed the need of international collaboration in space missions, highlighting the joint efforts of ISRO, NASA, SpaceX, and Axiom Space in enabling the Ax-4 mission.
Shukla shared traditional Indian dishes such as aam ras, gajar ka halwa, and moong daal ka halwa with his fellow astronauts, who enjoyed the distinct flavors. He characterized the aboard mood as highly exciting because of the mix of countries and the united mission. Despite the thrill, he emphasized the difficulty of relaxing in space, claiming that sleep is the most difficult duty due to the constant stimulus around him.
Shukla, the second Indian to go to space after Rakesh Sharma, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on June 25 atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. As Mission Pilot for Axiom Mission 4, he assisted in piloting the Dragon spacecraft, which docked autonomously with the ISS on June 26. The Ax-4 crew, which included former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ESA astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, joined the seven-member Expedition 73 team at the ISS. Their mission is expected to take up to fourteen days.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s experience onboard the worldwide Space Station embodies the spirit of worldwide cooperation in space exploration, as well as the profound personal and scientific value of witnessing Earth from orbit.
