‘Will try to do yoga’: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla shares his International Space Station checklist
Shubhanshu Shukla, an IAF officer and ISRO astronaut, was selected as the pilot for Axiom Mission 4, scheduled for spring 2025.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer and ISRO astronaut who was named the pilot for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) by NASA, said he was "really excited" to experience microgravity conditions inside the International Space Station (ISS).
The mission will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Shukla will become the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS on a private mission.
The US space agency said the team will travel “no earlier than spring 2025” as part of a joint effort with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Also read | Shubhanshu Shukla: IAF officer becomes 1st Indian astronaut for private Axiom Mission 4 to ISS
‘Really excited’
Shukla said he was “really excited to go into microgravity” and would also try to perform some yoga postures on the ISS. The officer also said he plans to carry items representing different regions of India and the entire country to the ISS. ISRO has tasked an Indian university to select such items, he added.
The astronaut said he had been cooking different types of Indian food with his crew members and added that he was looking forward to taking those to space.
Shukla, also part of India’s Gaganyaan programme, said the experience would be “very well utilised” for his future missions.
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Shukla's crew members
Former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space's Director of Human Spaceflight, Peggy Whitson, will command the commercial mission. The two specialists are European Space Agency project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
“Once docked, the private astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission consisting of science, outreach, and commercial activities,” NASA said.
Whitson said working with the Axiom Mission 4 crew has been a “deeply rewarding experience”.
“Witnessing their selfless dedication and commitment to expanding horizons and creating opportunities for their nations in space exploration is truly remarkable. Each crew member brings unique strengths and perspectives, making our mission not just a scientific endeavour but a testament to human ingenuity and teamwork,” she added.
(With PTI inputs)
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