'Ax-4 Mission Experience Goes Beyond Learnings From Training Material': Shubhanshu Shukla

Hyderabad: Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla addressed a press briefing, sharing insights into the Axiom-4 mission and highlighting the country's growing presence in space. Shukla was joined by ISRO Chairman V Narayanan, Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh, and Senior Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Dhirendra Ojha, along with Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, who will be accompanying Shukla on India's upcoming Gaganyaan mission. Nair was also Axiom-4's backup astronaut.

During the briefing, Shubhanshu Shukla thanked the government of India, ISRO, and the researchers for the success of the Axiom 4 mission. "It was the entire nation's mission. The experience is very different from what you learn on the ground."

Shukla also talked about receiving training for the human space flight mission in Russia, India, and the US. He emphasised that while the philosophy for a human space flight mission is similar, the methodology is different, but they achieve the same result.

"We had trained at the Russian Cosmonaut Training Centre, and then we came back to India and trained with ISRO. After that, we went to the US for training for the Axiom 4 Mission," Shukla said. "Essentially, in all these three training setups, we are training for the same thing, but it was very interesting to see how people were achieving the same objective through different protocols."

Speaking about his experience on the Axiom-4 mission, Shukla noted that the insights gained from the International Space Station would prove invaluable for India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission. He added that the past year had been a period of immense learning and growth. He also highlighted that the learnings he gained from experiencing the human space flight mission went beyond the learnings he received on land.

He said that no matter how much training one undergoes, the moment of sitting in the rocket and experiencing the ignition of its engines feels entirely different. He admitted that he hadn’t anticipated how it would feel and described how, for the first few seconds, he felt as though he was running behind the rocket and needed time to catch up.

"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 said.

Subhanshu also explained his role as the mission pilot. He mentioned that the Crew Dragon spacecraft had four seats, and he had been responsible for working alongside the commander and interacting with the spacecraft’s systems. He said that they had been tasked with conducting experiments that were conceived, developed, and executed by Indian researchers, as well as performing STEM demonstrations and capturing photographs and videos.

He expressed gratitude for the support he received, acknowledging that the first few days in space had been challenging and that readjusting to gravity upon return was particularly difficult. Shukla also shared his hope that, in the near future, someone would journey into space “from our own capsule, from our rocket, from our soil.”

Reflecting on national pride, he remarked that India still looks “saare jahaan se achcha” (better than the entire world), a phrase famously spoken by astronaut Rakesh Sharma during his 1984 space mission.

Axiom-4 stands out as a prestigious achievement: V Narayanan

ISRO Chairman Narayanan reflected on a decade of remarkable progress, highlighting that the space agency's missions from 2015 to 2025 have nearly doubled in number compared to those completed between 2005 and 2015. He emphasised recent milestones, including the successful execution of three major missions within the past six months.

Speaking at the briefing, Narayanan said, “In just the past six months, we’ve accomplished three significant missions. Among them, the Axiom-4 mission stands out as a prestigious achievement, marking the first time an Indian, Shubhanshu Shukla, was taken to the International Space Station and returned safely.”

He added that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office, the South Asian satellite was built, launched, and gifted to South Asian nations. He mentioned that under the PM's leadership, India had also developed the G20 satellite for the G20 countries. Reflecting on the growth of the space sector, he noted that a decade ago, there was only one startup in the field, whereas today, the country boasts over 300 space-related startups. He further said that two suborbital missions had already been carried out by private companies.

India is following global strategies in the space sector: Jitendra Singh

At the press conference, Union Minister Jitendra Singh noted that the Department of Space has existed for nearly 70 years, with ISRO officially established in 1969, emphasising that significant progress had only begun in recent years, asking why such advancements couldn’t have taken place over the past five or six decades.

"We have started following the strategies which are followed by the rest of the world. Now, our benchmarks are global benchmarks, our strategies are global, and the parameters that we are seeking to live up to are global," he said.

Group Captain Prasanth B Nair Stresses on Team Work

Group Captain Prasanth B Nair, the designated astronaut for India's Gaganyaan mission shared reflections on the collective effort behind India's space ambitions and paid tribute to the nation's diverse contributors celebrating India's strides in space exploration.

He invoked the historic slogan "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" and proposed expanding it to "Jai Vaigyanik." Speaking at press conference, Group Captain Nair emphased the importance of teamwork and acknowledging that achievements in space are built on a strong foundation.

Nair said, "The future is space and future technology. When we do all this, we should not forget the base on which all this has been made because we all, whichever field we are from, have contributed a lot. So I would like to reiterate what has been a slogan since, you know, days immemorial in this country. Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, but add to it, Jai Vaigyanik now. And also, why not? Jai Har Bharatiya."

Nair further highlighted the vital role of foundational support across all levels, from ministers to everyday citizens, in advancing India's space program.

"You are the reason we are here. We get to wear the cool suits and look good in front of the camera. But remember, the leaves will not blossom if the foundation is not strong. All of you sitting out here, right from the minister to the chairman, to all of you in every street, in every way, have been contributing to this programme. And I would like to thank the Prime Minister and the entire team for being with us throughout," he said.

As the nation approaches Diwali, Group Captain Nair drew a poetic parallel, "A few months from now we are going to celebrate Diwali, a time when Shri Ram ji entered Ayodhya. Over here right now, to the Ram that is Shuks (Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla), if I can call myself Laxman, it feels like there is Diwali here today when all our countrymen are here to receive us. But remember, even though I am elder to Shuks, I will love to be the Laxaman to this Ram any day, that's how professional he is."

Meanwhile, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chief V Narayanan provided an update on the progress of the Gaganyaan mission, India's ambitious human spaceflight project.

Describing the mission as "very technologically intensive" and "complex," Narayanan said that "80 per cent" of tests are completed. "It is a very technologically intensive, complex mission. A lot of work is done, environment control and safety system, arbital module development, human-centric product development. I am happy to say that 80 per cent of tests are completed, and 20 per cent are targeted before March 2026," V Narayanan said.

Additionally, Narayanan announced that the first uncrewed mission, known as G-1, is expected to be launched later this year, possibly in December.