SRINAGAR: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, fresh from a successful mission to the International Space Station (ISS), on Thursday expressed hope that India would soon send astronauts into space from its own capsule and rocket, launched from Indian soil.
Addressing a press conference, Group Captain Shukla as per The Hindu, described his first-hand experience aboard the ISS as invaluable, surpassing any prior training. He praised India’s space achievements, saying the nation remains “saare jahaan se achcha,” repeating the words of astronaut Rakesh Sharma after his historic 1984 spaceflight.
Reflecting on his Axiom-4 mission, Shukla said the insights gained will significantly benefit India’s Gaganyaan mission, and highlighted the intense learning he underwent over the past year.
Describing the launch, he as per Indian Express report said, “No matter how much training you have done, when the engines ignite, it is a completely different feeling. I was actually running behind the rocket for the first few seconds, and it took me time to catch up. From that moment until splashdown, the experience was unbelievable, exciting, amazing, and beyond words.”
