From Himalayas to thunderstorms: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla shares mesmerising timelapse of India from space; watch Video

Astronaut Shares Mesmerising Timelapse of India from Space with Himalayas and Sunrise (Image: Shubhanshu Shukla/X)

How does India look from space? Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla offered the answer on Friday when he shared a breathtaking timelapse video captured from the International Space Station. He posted the clip on X, telling citizens to watch it in landscape mode with high brightness.

What did Shukla capture from orbit?
The astronaut said the ISS was moving south to north. It travelled from the Indian Ocean along India’s eastern coast. He explained the purple flashes seen in the video were thunderstorms. The footage then showed the Himalayas fading into view. A sunrise followed against the backdrop of shimmering stars. Shukla described it as a mesmerising dance of natural elements. He added that heavy monsoon clouds made it difficult to film. Yet he managed to steal a few shots of Bharat.

*- Watch the video in landscape with screen brightness high.

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While on orbit I tried to capture pictures and videos so that I can share this journey with you all.

This is a Timelapse video of Bharat from space. The @iss is moving from south to north from the Indian Ocean. We are… pic.twitter.com/ETEARm88tz

— Shubhanshu Shukla (@gagan_shux) August 22, 2025

How did he describe the experience?
Shukla wrote that he wanted people to feel as if they were sitting in the cupola of the ISS. He shared that the monsoon limited clear views of India. Still, he captured images that reflected the beauty of Bharat. Speaking emotionally, he said, “Bharat aaj bhi antariksha se saare jahan se achha dikhta hai.”

What did he say about the mission?
On Thursday, Shukla joined a press conference in Delhi. He appeared with Union Minister Jitendra Singh and ISRO officials. He called the Axiom-4 mission a historic achievement. He described it as a mission for the entire nation. He thanked the government, ISRO scientists, researchers and citizens. He said he truly felt that the mission was owned by every Indian.

Shukla and his crew travelled aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. The spacecraft launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral. They spent two weeks at the ISS conducting experiments. The team then returned to Earth via the Pacific Ocean near San Diego.

What did ISRO officials say?
ISRO Chairman V Narayanan hailed the Axiom-4 mission as a milestone. He said it highlighted India’s rapid progress in space technology. He pointed to the GSLV-F16 launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite. He also noted India’s private space sector had grown from one startup to more than 300. Narayanan said the mission underlined India’s rising global stature in space exploration and international collaboration.