‘Joy, a reflection of the cultural mix on board’: Axiom-4’s ‘5th crew member’ has Shubhanshu Shukla’s 6-year-old son’s touch

The Axiom-4 mission will feature “Joy,” a toy baby swan, as its zero-gravity indicator, chosen partly due to Group Captain Shukla’s son’s love for animals. The crew, representing diverse backgrounds, sees Joy as a symbol of cultural unity and the shared pursuit of space exploration. The swan embodies wisdom, loyalty, resilience, grace, and nature’s beauty, reflecting the crew’s values.