Global exclusive | Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla on space journey and interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Astronaut and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla shared his remarkable journey on a Global Exclusive episode of the GDP Podcast for MyGov India.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s first astronaut to stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and only the second Indian to travel to space, shared his remarkable journey on a Global Exclusive episode of the GDP Podcast for MyGov India.
In conversation with Sharat Bhattatiripad, he spoke about joining the Indian Air Force, his space mission, conversations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and even a zero-fuel flying incident.
Reflecting on where it all began, he said, “As a child watching fighter planes fly over your head at 1,000 kilometres per hour, doing aerobatics… it was amazing. I was so astonished just seeing it and thinking, ‘What is happening? This is a completely different world… fascination!’”
Sharat: Then you reach space. You represent 140 million Indians. You become the second Indian to be in space. After 41 years, after Rakesh Sharma, now your name is recorded. So what are the memories... of those moments?
{{/usCountry}}Sharat: Then you reach space. You represent 140 million Indians. You become the second Indian to be in space. After 41 years, after Rakesh Sharma, now your name is recorded. So what are the memories... of those moments?
{{/usCountry}}Shubhanshu: On the very second day, I had an interaction with the Hon’ble Prime Minister from space. I wasn’t feeling very good that day. I was sitting thoughtfully with the Indian flag behind me when I realised… till that moment, our flag had never been inside the International Space Station....The radio checks were happening in Hindi. You’re in space, travelling at 8 km per second, with your flag behind you, preparing to talk to the leader of your country. In that 10-minute break before the interaction, it suddenly hit me — the enormity of what was happening. This is something big. I felt turbo-charged, because this is your country’s representation on a global platform.
{{/usCountry}}Shubhanshu: On the very second day, I had an interaction with the Hon’ble Prime Minister from space. I wasn’t feeling very good that day. I was sitting thoughtfully with the Indian flag behind me when I realised… till that moment, our flag had never been inside the International Space Station....The radio checks were happening in Hindi. You’re in space, travelling at 8 km per second, with your flag behind you, preparing to talk to the leader of your country. In that 10-minute break before the interaction, it suddenly hit me — the enormity of what was happening. This is something big. I felt turbo-charged, because this is your country’s representation on a global platform.
{{/usCountry}}Sharat: The most beautiful thing was PM Modi asking gajar ka halwa khilaya ki nahi?
Shubhanshu: Yes, that became quite famous too. Food on the International Space Station is a very important aspect. Imagine you are restricted to a 1BHK house, and for the next six months, you cannot go out. So food becomes a respite for you. There is a lab, DFRL, which is making this for Gaganyaan, so we proposed to take our items. Gajar ka halwa, moong dal halwa, and aamras reached there, and everyone enjoyed it a lot. We submitted more items, but these three got selected through NASA’s clearance process.
Sharat: When you met the honourable PM after returning, what conversation took place?
Shubhanshu: The minute I entered, when I met him, the first handshake, from that time until that meeting ended, the feeling was very different. I mean, I was very comfortable. He himself made me very comfortable and was also very happy. I remember that interaction even now. I shared very good anecdotes.
We talked about many things, and I was told 20-25 minutes, but I think we discussed things for about an hour. So the Prime Minister was also very curious to know about certain things, like how things are in space, nature, everything is very different there, so we talked about those things. After that the conversation changed to what do we have to do, or what is our vision, where do we want to go.
He (PM) said, ‘I want there to be a pool of 40-50 astronauts in our country.’ A thriving ecosystem for human spaceflight missions, that we are continuously manning the space station, conducting missions, then we go on to long-duration missions, going to the moon.
Sharat: PM Modi also gave you homework during that call?
Shubhanshu: Yes, absolutely. When I came back, he also checked with me whether I did that or not. So I assured him, and I think there is a very clear understanding in his mind too about where he wants to see India in the space sector in the coming times.
Sharat: Your colleagues told, ‘Be sure to ask Shubhanshu about the Jodhpur incident, when he had a close shave.’ What was that ?
Shubhanshu: There is a very good saying in the aviation community — There are bold pilots and there are old pilots, but there are no old bold pilots.
So, this incident is that one day I went for an air test sortie. In that, you don’t take any external fuel tanks. I was flying the MiG-21 Bison at that time. So I remember I came back for landing, and then a call came from ATC that something had happened and we had to divert to Udaipur.
After flying 40 km, again a call came that, no, the runway is available now. I returned, but again a minor accident happened, and I had to divert again (to Udaipur) with decreasing fuel. There was another pilot who had also diverted so that was also to be taken care of. Finally, when I was touching down, my needle was on zero. And when I was clearing off the runway, the engine halted on its own. That was the kind of margin that I had at that time. So that was a close, close shave.
