Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Sunday described the prettiest sight that he saw from space during his 18-day stay at the International Space Station (ISS).
Shukla became the second Indian citizen to go into space and the first to set foot on the ISS as part of the Axiom-4 mission in June this year. He said that he tried to capture India from space and called it the most beautiful sight anyone would see in their life.
"I also have a small clip from space that I tried to capture of India. And India does look really beautiful. I'm not just saying it because all of us are Indians and we are sitting here, but I think that if you speak to any astronaut who is there on the station, the unique positioning and the shape, especially during night if you pass over India from the Indian Ocean, south to north, I think it is probably one of the most beautiful sights that you can ever see in your life," Shukla said while speaking at the facilitation ceremony of Gaganyatris in the presence of defence minister Rajnath Singh.
Shubhanshu Shukla thanked the Indian Air Force (IAF) for his achievements in space with the Axiom-4 mission, saying anyone in that uniform would have done an equally good job.
"Whatever I've gone through and whatever I've achieved, I feel that the background that I had or the preparation that I had for years by being in this uniform and by being in the Air Force, that any one of us who's sitting here would have done an equally good job. And that is the confidence I carry with me whenever I see whatever life throws at you, the kind of character that the Air Force has built up for all the people sitting here," he added.
Shubhanshu Shukla inaugurates the new Nehru Planetarium gallery
{{/usCountry}}"Whatever I've gone through and whatever I've achieved, I feel that the background that I had or the preparation that I had for years by being in this uniform and by being in the Air Force, that any one of us who's sitting here would have done an equally good job. And that is the confidence I carry with me whenever I see whatever life throws at you, the kind of character that the Air Force has built up for all the people sitting here," he added.
Shubhanshu Shukla inaugurates the new Nehru Planetarium gallery
{{/usCountry}}The Nehru Planetarium in Delhi marked the second National Space Day on Saturday with the inauguration of its newly renovated Aryabhata Gallery, drawing space enthusiasts and students alike. The gallery was formally opened by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who created history in July as the second Indian in space and the first to dock at the International Space Station.
Shukla, visibly moved by the occasion, told the gathering that the gallery symbolised the bridge between India’s space heritage and its future ambitions.
“I thought I was here just to cut the ribbon, but this is much more than that. I could feel the excitement of the nation even when I was in space, and that energy inspired me. Places like this Planetarium are the foundations of our space future. The sky unites us all – and I know that one day, one of you will set foot on the Moon,” he said.
Encouraging young Indians to take ownership of the country’s ambitious space programme, Shukla underlined the importance of curiosity and perseverance. He urged students to see themselves as future participants in missions such as Gaganyaan, the proposed Indian space station, and beyond.