Indian astronaut on Axiom-4 to do yoga, serve desi food to colleagues

Photo: Instagram/@astro_peggy

IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is all set to make history as the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS). He will be piloting the Axiom-4 mission, which is scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in the spring of 2025.

Shukla will become only the second Indian to go to space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who made his historic journey in 1984. He is excited about experiencing microgravity and the thrill of spaceflight. "I also have a personal goal of capturing my experiences aboard the space station through pictures and videos. I want to share these moments with all the people of India, who I consider my family," Shukla said during an online press conference hosted by NASA.

He added, "Even though I am traveling as an individual, this journey is the journey of 1.4 billion people. I want everyone to experience it through my eyes."

The Axiom-4 mission will be a joint effort between NASA and ISRO. The crew will be led by Peggy Whitson and will also include two other astronauts: Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

Shukla, who is originally from Lucknow, plans to take some special items with him to space, representing different parts of India. He also mentioned that he would perform some yoga poses once the spacecraft docks with the ISS. Shukla, who was commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2006, shared that ISRO came up with the idea of including regional items in the mission, with input from university students across India.

This mission is not just a milestone for Shubhanshu Shukla but also a significant step toward expanding private astronaut access to low-Earth orbit. During their 14-day mission, the astronauts will carry out important experiments on deep space exploration. Shukla is also preparing for India’s own human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan, which will further boost India’s space journey.

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