Sharing moments of his breathtaking experience in a live video interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who created history recently as the first Indian to travel on the International Space Station (ISS), gave a glimpse into his breathtaking experience.
"Little while back, when I glanced out of the window, we were flying over Hawaii. From our position here, we witness sunrise and sunset 16 times a day," he told.
Shukla, the second Indian to travel into space after Rakesh Sharma's historic flight in 1984, landed on the ISS on Thursday as part of the global Axiom-4 crew.
His journey commenced on SpaceX's Dragon capsule, well-suited named 'Grace'. The takeoff was conducted at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the spacecraft completing a 28-hour journey via low Earth orbit to reach the ISS.
Around 4:15 pm IST, 'Grace' docked safely with the space station. Shukla was given a warm welcome by fellow astronauts on board the ISS.
Talking to PM Modi from space, Shukla called his mission a life-changing experience. "It is not my journey, but also the country's journey. I am soaking in the new experiences like a sponge," he said. In the coming two weeks, he will be performing different scientific experiments and conduct outreach activities from the space lab.
Sharing his initial experience of seeing the Earth from outer space, Shukla observed, "When I saw the Earth from space, the first impression was that the world is really one — no borders are seen. When I saw India, it seemed very grand, much bigger and more majestic than as it appears on a map."
He highlighted how the view from space was a deeply unifying feeling, untainted by terrestrial-made borders — something that he found both humbling and uplifting.
Shukla is part of a four-strong crew commanded by Axiom-4 commander Peggy Whitson. The crew also consists of Polish engineer Slawosz Wisniewski and Hungarian mechanical engineer Tibor Kapu.
After stepping on the station, the crew was greeted with hugs, handshakes, and the traditional awarding of astronaut pins.
"I am astronaut 634. It is an honor to be here," said Shukla, recognizing his official role in the annals of space history.
Speaking briefly at the welcoming ceremony, he thanked and national pride: "With your love and blessings, I have reached the International Space Station. It seems easy to stand here, but my head is a bit heavy, some difficulty, but these are small issues."
He supplemented with tears, "I have taken the Tricolour along, and I have taken all of you along with me. This journey will get even more thrilling in the coming days."
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