A wave of excitement travelled from orbit as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla shared his first detailed reflections since entering space. Speaking from the SpaceX Dragon capsule 'Grace', he described the experience as “absolutely magical” during Axiom-4’s live in-flight update.
The SpaceX spacecraft, carrying Shukla and three crewmates, continues its journey towards the International Space Station. Their live session early Wednesday offered a glimpse into the wonder and challenges of life in microgravity.
A Magical Launch Experience
Reflecting on the liftoff, Shukla said, “What a ride it was.” Sitting inside the capsule after 30 days of quarantine, his only thought was, “Just go.” As the Falcon 9 engines roared, he recalled being pressed against his seat. Then came the sudden silence of space. “You are floating in the vacuum... it’s absolutely magical,” he said with a smile.
He thanked the entire mission team, calling the journey a “collective achievement”. Shukla added, “It’s not just my accomplishment. This belongs to all of us.”
Adapting to Weightlessness
In a light-hearted update, Shukla said, “I am not feeling very great,” capturing the sense of wonder and the challenge of adapting to weightlessness in a vacuum, adding, “I am learning like a baby.” He also mentioned with a smile that he’s “been told I am sleeping a lot” since launch — a common side effect of early space travel.
Reflecting on the emotional support that made the mission possible, Shukla said, “The support of family has mattered so much.”
Shubhanshu Shukla on Joy the Swan
Shubhanshu Shukla proudly displayed the zero-gravity indicator, ‘Joy the Swan’, onboard the spacecraft. He shared, “For Indians, a swan is more than just a symbol — it represents wisdom and knowledge.” Joy served as the mission’s Zero-G indicator, a small object that floats freely to signal the onset of weightlessness once the spacecraft enters microgravity.
Watch it here:
A Proud Message for India
In an emotional note to his fellow Indians, Shukla said, “Namaskar, my dear countrymen, what a ride. We are back in space after 41 years.” Floating 400 kilometres above Earth, he shared, “The Tiranga on my shoulder reminds me that I carry all of you with me.”
Shukla stressed that this journey is bigger than just reaching the ISS. “It’s about starting India’s Human Space Programme,” he declared. “Let your hearts swell with pride. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!”
Focus on Science and Research
The Ax-4 crew will stay aboard the ISS for up to 14 days. Their schedule is packed with scientific experiments, outreach efforts, and commercial tasks.
This is Axiom’s most research-heavy mission to date. NASA and ISRO are collaborating on key experiments. These include muscle regeneration studies, growing edible microalgae, and testing how aquatic microorganisms survive in microgravity. Another focus is understanding how humans interact with digital displays in space.
Axiom’s first private astronaut mission, Ax-1, launched in April 2022 and lasted 17 days. Ax-4 now continues that legacy, with Shukla becoming the face of India’s rising space ambitions.
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