Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axion Mission 4, delivered an inspiring speech to students at NESAC in Meghalaya. Shukla expressed his conviction that the future will see astronauts from every corner of India. Using a ham radio, he shared his experiences and encouraged the students to chase their dreams. Launched on June 25, he discussed the rigors of space travel, drawing parallels between his fighter pilot training and astronaut preparation. He detailed the special challenges of the ISS, due to microgravity and radiation, and how they impact health. Shukla also emphasized the crucial nature of safety and emergency preparedness, outlining the extensive training undertaken for any contingency. He spoke of the incredible view of Earth. As part of Axiom Mission 4, launched from the Kennedy Space Centre on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Shukla served as Mission Pilot and navigated the Dragon spacecraft to a successful docking with the ISS.
