Shubhanshu Shukla Live From ISS: Astronaut To Interact With School Students In India
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Shubhanshu Shukla at ISS: There are plans for live interactive sessions on the ISS as it passes over ground-based tracking centres and establishes communication links
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS), marking a historic milestone for the country.
After a flawless lift-off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 25, the SpaceX Dragon successfully docked with the ISS 28 hours later, completing a critical phase with precision. With this achievement, Shukla becomes astronaut number 634 — a numerical testament to the exclusive league of space-farers – the special ones who get to see Earth from a beautiful vantage point.
What next?
There are plans for live interactive sessions on the ISS as it passes over ground-based tracking centres and establishes communication links. One of the highlights will be Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's interaction with school students back home — a moment that promises to inspire the next generation of spacefarers.
Why Shubhanshu Shukla's win feels personal?
For India, the moment is deeply symbolic and proud.
From a young boy in Lucknow who grew up reading about cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma in school textbooks like many of us, and his unforgettable words 'Sare Jahan Se Achha" spoken from space in 1984 – echoing the timeless verse by poet Muhammad Iqbal to soaring through the skies as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force – and now carrying the tricolour on his shoulders and making India's debut at the International Space Station – Shukla's journey has been nothing short of extraordinary.
He knows
Confident and composed, Shukla seemed unfazed by the effects of microgravity. Even as he admitted, 'the head feels a little heavy," visuals showed him effortlessly floating aboard the ISS, smiling as he greeted the seven astronauts already on board.
'Namaskar, my dear countrymen, what a ride. We are back in space once again after 41 years… The Tiranga embossed on my shoulders tells me I am with you all," he declared
Over the next 14 days, the four crew members – Peggy Whitson, Gp Captain Shukla, Sławosz Uznański and Tibor Kapu will carry nearly 60 experiments from 31 countries. Shukla will focus on the seven he has been given by ISRO. He is no scientist, but astronauts are trained to conduct experiments in space.
Over the next 14 days
He will study the growth of edible microalgae – the tiny, nutrient-rich organisms that could be a future food source for long-term space missions – as well as photosynthetic cyanobacteria that could one day improve future life-support systems for astronauts. He will collect data monitoring muscle dysfunction in space, cognitive impact of computer screens on astronauts, which will help design user-friendly spacecraft computers.
The experiments also involve study of tardigrades – tiny creatures to understand how they survive extreme conditions. Interestingly, ISRO is also exploring the potential of growing crops in space to ensure a reliable food source for future astronauts. This will be done by germination and growth of crop seeds in microgravity, and examining their effects on their genes over multiple generations.
Since the mission was delayed for almost three weeks, there is a bit of a concern on how many of these experiments are still viable. Scientists told News18 that most of the microbial samples can normally withstand delays if stored under proper conditions, but the ones carrying pre-cultured stem cells have a limited viability window – typically three to eight days after which they have to be discarded, and fresh samples are needed.
In the days ahead, there will be more on the mission and its milestones. But before the scientific work begins, the Axiom crew will receive a comprehensive briefing on the ISS — its current systems, experiments, and ongoing operations. With seven astronauts already aboard, the arrival of the four-member Axiom team brings the total crew on the ISS to 11.
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Axiom Space deep space Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) ISRO nasa news18 specials Shubhanshu Shukla
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New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
June 27, 2025, 14:38 IST
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