Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla foresees defining decade for India’s space exploration

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission, emphasised that the next five to ten years will be crucial for India’s space exploration. He is also among the four astronauts selected for India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission in 2027.

Hyderabad: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla on Thursday said that the next five to ten years are going to be really defining times for India as far as space exploration is concerned, as a lot of things are going to happen.

In an interactive session on the sidelines of space startup Skyroot’s facility inauguration here, Shukla said there are only a few countries which have done what India has achieved already and there are even fewer which are doing what India is planning to do in space.

---

He further said space voyages will not be restricted in future as the government is in the process of formulating how to make entire structures for selection, and how people from different fields can apply.

“I think that the next five to ten years are going to be really defining times for our country as far as space exploration is concerned. A lot of things are going to happen. And I think it is going to be bright, shiny for the kids who are coming up to explore this (space) and go forward in this domain,” he said replying to a query.

He also said there is a need to re-evaluate the existing global frameworks, treaties and laws, which are not binding on anyone, as anything done in outer space is going to affect each and every person on the planet Earth.

Shukla said he was able to see India only after three to four days from space.

Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS).

He was part of the Axiom-4 private space mission that lifted off from Florida on June 25 and docked at the ISS on June 26. He returned to Earth on 15 July.

On students opting to become astronauts, he said, “You could be an engineer, scientist, researcher, medical professional. You can apply to be an astronaut, but will have to follow these three things that I mentioned in the previous answer — physical fitness, medical fitness and psychological fitness.”

Recalling his experiences in the International Space Station, Shukla said the body changes a lot in the initial few days as all the blood from leg shifts to head, making it bigger.

“I was also very excited to go to space because I would gain a few inches. The problem is when you come back to Earth, you come back to your original height, so it’s not a lasting change,” he said.

He further said in his 20 days of space stay, he lost five kgs of weight, out of which 4.2 was muscle mass, besides psychological challenges in the confined environment leading to stressful workload, and off-nominal scenarios.

By growing moong and methi in space, he said he became a “space farmer”.

Shukla is also one of four astronauts selected and trained for India’s first manned mission, Gaganyaan, slated for launch in 2027.