Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla shared experiences of his 20-day space mission and 18-day stay at the International Space Station (ISS) during an online press conference on Friday. Shukla described his experience of readjusting to Earth’s gravity. He said, “After returning to Earth, I asked for a mobile phone to take a photo. When I held the phone, it felt very heavy.” He shared another incident: “I was sitting on my bed. I closed my laptop and slid it to the edge of the bed. I thought it would float in the air. Fortunately, there was a carpet on the floor, so no damage occurred.” Shubhanshu Shukla’s Axiom-4 mission was launched from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on June 25 and returned to Earth on July 15. Shukla is expected to return to India by the second or third week of August. ‘The beginning of India’s second flight’, says Shubhanshu
In the press conference, Shukla said, ‘After 41 years, an Indian has returned from space. This time it was not just a leap, it was the beginning of India’s second flight. This time we are ready. Not just to fly but to lead.’ He said that the most memorable moment of the entire space journey was when he spoke to PM Modi on June 28 and the tricolor was waving behind him. ‘PM Modi had asked me to record everything we were doing there. I have done this job very well,’ he said. Shubhanshu was part of the Axiom-4 mission
Shubhanshu Shukla was part of the Axiom-4 mission. India had paid 548 crore rupees for one of its seats. It was a private space flight mission. It was launched in partnership with the American space company Axiom, NASA, and SpaceX. This company sends private astronauts to the ISS in its spacecraft. Shubhanshu had to conduct 7 experiments from Indian Education Institutes on the ISS. Most of these were biological studies. He also had to conduct 5 other experiments with NASA. Data was to be collected for long space missions. The experiments conducted in this mission have strengthened India’s Gaganyaan mission.
The main objective of the mission was to conduct research in space and test new technology. This mission was also to promote private space travel. The mission was part of space planning. There is a plan to build a commercial space station (Axiom Station) in the future. Shubhanshu returned to Earth with a 4-day delay Shubhanshu Shukla returned to Earth on July 14. Under the Axiom-4 mission, Shubhanshu along with four crew members reached the ISS. The mission was launched on June 25 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft docked at the ISS on June 26 after a 28-hour journey. This mission was for 14 days but there was a four-day delay in the astronaut’s return. An Indian astronaut in Space after 41 Years
Under the agreement between the American space agency NASA and the Indian agency ISRO, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force was selected for this mission. 41 years ago, India’s Rakesh Sharma traveled to space in 1984 on a Soviet Union spacecraft. This experience of Shubhanshu will be useful in India’s Gaganyaan mission. This is India’s first human space mission, aimed at sending Indian astronauts to low Earth orbit and bringing them back safely. It is likely to be launched in 2027. In India, astronauts are called Gaganyaanis. Similarly, in Russia, they are called Cosmonauts and in China, Taikonauts. What is the International Space Station?
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large spacecraft orbiting around the Earth. Astronauts live in it and conduct experiments in microgravity. It travels at a speed of 28,000 kilometers per hour. It completes an orbit around the Earth every 90 minutes. It was built by 5 space agencies working together. The first piece of the station was launched in November 1998.
