NEW DELHI – Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla told interesting stories about how he adjusted to life on Earth after a historic 20-day trip to the International Space Station (ISS) on the Axiom-4 mission. Shukla’s stories about the surprise weight of a cell phone and dropping a laptop by accident while expecting it to float showed how hard it is to get used to gravity again.
Shukla and his Axiom-4 coworkers held a virtual news conference to talk about their amazing mission, which includes a long stay at the International Space Station, according to sources.
“A Bharatiya went back to space after 41 years. But this time, it wasn’t just one jump; it was the start of India’s second orbit. Shukla proudly said, “This time we are ready, not just to fly but to lead,” showing how India’s role in space exploration is rising.
The Axiom-4 mission began its journey through space on June 25 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and safely returned to Earth on July 15. This trip was a huge deal for India because Shubhanshu Shukla was only the second Indian to go into space. The first being Rakesh Sharma in 1984.
A Moment with the Prime Minister and the Surprises of Gravity
For Shubhanshu Shukla, an astronaut from Lucknow, one of the best parts of his mission was talking to the “Prime Minister of Bharat” on June 28, with the Indian flag proudly waving behind him. Shukla said that this discourse was a strong sign that India was back in the global space conversation as an equal and important player.
He told funny and sometimes hard stories about how hard it was to get used to Earth’s gravity. When asked for a picture, he remembered how heavy his phone felt in his hand when he first picked it up. He thought, “The phone we held all day long now felt heavy.”
Sharing another humorous event, he revealed how he instinctively dropped his laptop by the side of his bed, fully expecting it to float freely as it would in zero gravity. “I dropped my laptop, thinking it would float right next to me.” Shukla laughed and said, “Thank goodness the floor was carpeted, so nothing was broken.”
Getting ready for Gaganyaan and inspiring a new generation
Shukla said that the trip “exceeded his expectations” and gave him significant lessons that would be important for India’s ambitious Gaganyaan mission, which is the country’s own human spaceflight program. He doesn’t simply see himself as a space traveler on the Axiom-4 mission; he also sees himself as a “messenger showing what’s possible.”
Shukla, who is slated to return to India in mid-August, said that he did all of the “homework” that Prime Minister Modi gave him while he was aboard the space station. This meant carefully writing down every detail of the mission. “I’ve written down everything and can’t wait to share it all,” he said. He went on to say, “I am sure that all of that knowledge will be very helpful and important for our own Gaganyaan mission,” which shows how directly his experience may be used.
Lastly, Shukla stressed the main goal of these space missions: to inspire young people and make them believe that they can also become explorers. He said that this trip was already a success because kids are already wondering how they may become astronauts.