'Even phone felt heavy, dropped laptop': Shubhanshu Shukla on readjusting to life back on Earth after Axiom-4 mission
Shukla and his Axiom-4 colleagues addressed a virtual press conference, sharing their experience of the 20-day mission, including the stay at the International Space Station, reported PTI
"After 41 years, a Bharatiya returned to space. But this time, it was not a solitary leap; it was the beginning of India's second orbit. And this time, we are ready, not just to fly but to lead," Shukla said.
Axiom 4 set off on its space journey from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 25 and returned to Earth on July 15. It marked a historic moment for India, making Shubhanshu Shukla the second Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma in 1984.
Lucknow-born astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla said that the moment that stood out for him was when he spoke to the "Prime Minister of Bharat" with a flag floating behind him on June 28. Shukla described it as a moment of India's re-entry into the conversation as an equal participant.
Phone felt heavy, dropped laptop
He also shared his experience with adjusting to the gravity of Earth, recalling how he felt the phone was heavy in his hand when asked for a picture. He said that the phone we held all day long now felt heavy.
Sharing another incident, he told how he dropped his laptop on the side of the bed, thinking it would float. 'I dropped my laptop, thinking that it would float right next to me. Thankfully, the floor was carpeted, so there was no damage done," Shukla said further.
Talking about the mission itself, Shukla said that it exceeded his expectations and he learned a lot, which would help him in the upcoming Gaganyaan mission of India. He described his role in the mission not just as a spacefarer but as a "messenger showing what's possible".
Shukla, who is expected to return to India in mid-August, said that he did all the homework that PM Modi had asked him to do on the space station. This included documenting everything on the mission. He said that he has documented everything and is excited to share all that. 'I am confident that all that knowledge is going to prove extremely useful and crucial for our own Gaganyaan mission," he added.
Talking about the reason behind these space missions, Shukla said that the primary reason is to inspire the younger generation and to get them to believe that they can be explorers as well. The success of this mission, according to Shukla, was visible as children already started asking how to become astronauts.
(With PTI inputs)
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