Shubhanshu Shukla and crew return to Earth after 18 day-space sojourn: All you need to know
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Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
"People around the world excited about Gaganyaan mission," says Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla during meeting with PM Modi
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla , who returned to Earth in July after completing NASA's Axiom-4 space mission. During the meeting, Shukla shared that people around the world are excited about India's Gaganyaan mission He added that his crew members were so enthusiastic that they made him promise to invite them to the Gaganyaan the interaction, PM Modi asked, "As the first Indian to reach there, what are your thoughts? And what kind of questions do people ask ?"Shubhanshu Shukla said, "Wherever I went, whoever I met, everyone was very happy to meet me, very excited. The biggest thing was that everyone knew about what India is doing in the field of space. Everyone knew about this, and many people were more excited about Gaganyaan. They would come and ask me, 'When is your mission going?' And my crew members made me sign that whenever Gaganyaan is gone, you will invite us to the launch."PM Modi then asked, "What change do you feel after such a long journey in space, and now coming back?""The environment up there is very different. Once we reach space, we can remove our seat belts and move around inside the capsule. The heart rate slows down, but the body starts adjusting in 3-4 days. But when we return to Earth, the body takes time to readjust. Even though I was healthy, I couldn't walk properly. People had to hold me for support."PM Modi asked Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla about the use of moong and methi (fenugreek).Shukla explained that food is a big challenge on space missions because space is limited and cargo is expensive. He said moong and methi are easy to grow with little water and sprout in just 8 days."Food is a big challenge on a space station; there is less space, and cargo is expensive. You always try to pack as many calories and nutrients as possible in the least space, and experiments are going on in every way. They are very easy to grow and need very few resources, just a little water, and they sprout in only 8 days. These are some of the secrets of our country.""They used to call you tag genius. What's the reason behind that?" PM Modi askedShukla said, "...When I joined the Air Force, I thought that I would not have to study, but I will have to study a lot after that. And after becoming a test pilot, it becomes a discipline of engineering. So I think we were well prepared, when we reached for this mission has been successful, we have returned, but this mission is not the end, it is the beginning..."PM Modi then said that the biggest work would be to have a very large pool of astronauts, 40-50 people in shared that when he was young, becoming an astronaut seemed impossible because there were no programs. But now, children are asking him how they can become astronauts, showing that the dream is alive."When I was young, Rakesh Sharma sir went for the first time in 1984, but the dream of becoming an astronaut never came to my mind because we did not have any program. But when I went to the station this time, I spoke to the children three times. In every program, the children asked how can I become an astronaut? So I think this in itself is a big success for our country. In today's India, they know that it is possible. We have the option and we can become. And like you said, it is my responsibility, I feel I got a lot of opportunities to represent my country and now it is my responsibility to take as many people as possible to this level," Shukla said .PM Modi then said, "Space station and Gaganyaan. These are our big missions. Your experience will be very useful in that."Shukla then praised the government's strong commitment to the space program, despite setbacks like Chandrayaan 2, and said India has the capability to become a global leader in space."I think somewhere there is a very big opportunity for us, especially because the kind of commitment our government has made to sustain the space program, budget every year, inspite of failures like Chandrayaan 2. Even after that, we said no, we will move ahead. Chandrayaan 3 was successful. Even after such failures, if we are getting so much support and the whole world is seeing this. We have the capability, so we can acquire a leadership role here. You talked about Atmanirbharta in space manufacturing... So all these things are connected in the same way," Shukla said"If we do it self-reliantly, we will do well," said PM ModiShukla, who returned to Earth on July 15 after completing NASA's Axiom-4 (AX-4) space mission, landed in the national capital in the early hours of was part of NASA's Axiom-4 Space Mission, which took off from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, US, on June 25. He returned to Earth on July 15, splashing down off the coast of California. He became the first Indian in 41 years to travel to space.
NDTV
38 minutes ago
- NDTV
PM Modi Asks Shubhanshu Shukla About "Homework" He Gave, Astronaut Responds
New Delhi: When Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla about the "homework" he assigned him, the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) replied with a smile, "Very good progress has been made, sir." The two met at the Prime Minister's residence in New Delhi on Monday, where Indian Air Force Group Captain Shukla briefed PM Modi on his landmark mission and shared his experiences in space. Recalling how colleagues reacted about the PM's "homework", Mr Shukla said, "People laughed with me, and after that meeting they teased me, saying 'your Prime Minister has given you homework'. But I did it, and it was very important, sir. Obviously, we were aware of it, that's why I went. The mission was successful, sir, and we have returned. But this is not the end of the mission; it is only the beginning." Shubhanshu Shukla spent 20 days in space as part of the mission and 18 days aboard the ISS. He docked on June 26 and landed on Earth on July 15. During the meeting, PM Modi also asked Mr Shukla about the changes he felt upon returning to Earth. He replied, "The brain takes time to understand that we have to walk. It does take a while to adapt back to this environment. When I came back, I was not able to walk, and people had to hold me up." The same adjustment process occurred when he first reached the ISS, he said. Onboard the station, he conducted experiments on tardigrades, myogenesis, cyanobacteria, microalgae, crop seeds, and sprouting Indian staples such as moong (green gram) and fenugreek (methi). Among these, he said, the sprouting of moong and fenugreek seeds drew special attention. The PM asked how the experiment went. Mr Shukla replied, "That was very good, sir. I was very surprised that people there didn't know about these things. Food is a very big challenge on a space station. Space is limited, cargo is expensive. The goal is always to pack the most nutrition and calories in the smallest space. These seeds are very easy to grow. Just a small dish with water, and in 8 days they had sprouted." He described them as India's "little secrets," adding that such simple crops could support astronauts in space and also help address food security challenges on Earth. Mr Shukla said that over the past year, wherever he went, people were eager to meet him, excited to talk, and curious about India's progress in space. He said many already knew about India's growing role in space exploration, and some even asked detailed questions about the Gaganyaan mission, often knowing more about its timeline than he did. His international crewmates, he said, were also keenly awaiting India's first human spaceflight.
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Just 1 hour of social media reels on smartphones can cause eye fatigue: Study
New Delhi: Facing digital eye strain? According to a study, just one hour of scrolling social media reels on smartphones can cause eye fatigue. The study published in the Journal of Eye Movement Research found that it is not just the time spent on digital devices but also the type of content being used that can cause the condition. 'Social media content causes greater pupil fluctuations than reading or watching a video,' said the researchers from SRM Institute of Science and Technology. The team stated that 'prolonged smartphone use, exceeding 20 minutes at a time, can lead to physical and mental health issues, including psychophysiological disorders'. Digital devices and their extended exposure to blue light cause digital eyestrain, sleep disorders, and visual-related problems. To examine the impact of 1 hour of smartphone usage on visual fatigue among young Indian adults, the researchers developed a portable, low-cost system that measured visual activity. The system measured blink rate, inter-blink interval, and pupil diametre. Measured eye activity was recorded during 1 hour of smartphone usage of e-book reading, video watching, and social-media reels (short videos). 'Social media reels show increased screen variations, affecting pupil dilation and reducing blink rate due to continuous screen brightness and intensity changes. This reduction in blink rate and increase in inter-blink interval or pupil dilation could lead to visual fatigue,' the researchers explained. Regarding discomfort, 60 per cent of participants experienced mild to severe discomfort after prolonged smartphone use, including symptoms like eyestrain, neck pain, and hand fatigue. Furthermore, 83 per cent of the respondents indicated experiencing some form of psychophysiological disorders, such as anxiety, sleep disturbances, or mental exhaustion. To reduce discomfort, 40 per cent of participants reported taking precautions, such as using blue light filters or enabling dark mode settings to reduce the impact of screen exposure.
