'Bharat aaj bhi...': Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla on how India looks from space
Shubhanshu became the second Indian to undertake a spaceflight as part of the Axiom-4 mission.
Astronaut and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla recalled the Axiom-4 Mission on Thursday, saying that the first-hand experience at the International Space Station (ISS) was invaluable.
“I would like to thank each and every citizen of this country who behaved in a way that made it feel like they actually owned this mission. I truly felt that this was a mission for the entire nation,” Shukla said at a press conference.
He also said that even today, from space, India looks the most beautiful in the world.
"... Bharat aaj bhi Antariksh se saare jahaan se achha dikhta hai. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat…(Even today, from space, India looks the most beautiful in the world. Jai Hind)."
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Shukla, who became the second Indian to undertake a spaceflight as part of the Axiom-4 mission, also thanked the Indian government, ISRO and his colleagues.
"...No matter how much training you have done, even after that, when you sit in the rocket and the engines ignite, when they catch fire, I think it is a very different feeling. I had not imagined how it would feel, and I was actually running behind the rocket for the first few seconds.It took me some time to catch up to it. From that moment until the time we splashed down, the experience was unbelievable. It was so exciting and so amazing that I have really been struggling to find words to convey it to you, so that you can live that experience through my words," he added.
Shubhanshu Shukla's space mission
Shukla’s mission, which was launched from Florida on June 25 and docked with the ISS a day later, concluded with his return to Earth on July 15.
During his 18-day stay in orbit, he and his fellow astronauts Peggy Whitson (US), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) carried out more than 60 scientific experiments and 20 outreach activities.
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On Sunday, Shukla returned to India to a rousing welcome at the Delhi airport. He also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi the next day.
“Had a great interaction with Shubhanshu Shukla. We discussed a wide range of subjects, including his experiences in space, progress in science & technology as well as India's ambitious Gaganyaan mission. India is proud of his feat,” PM Modi wrote on X after the meeting.
