What Did PM Modi And Shubhanshu Shukla Talk About? From 16 Sunrise And Sunset To Astronaut Strapping His Feet
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a conversation with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the Indian Astronaut, who made a new record by becoming the first Indian to go to the International Space Station (ISS). The chat took place through video conferencing and was streamed live.
Shubhanshu Shukla is currently on a space mission, orbiting 400 kilometres above the Earth.
Here are the five things PM Modi and Shubhanshu Shukla talked about:
1- 'Hearts Of 140 Crore Indians…'
The initial thing that PM Modi told the astronaut was, 'You may be far from us, but the hearts of 140 crore Indians beat with you,' and congratulated Shubhanshu for raising the nation's pride globally.
'Your name itself carries the word 'Shubh' (auspicious). And your journey symbolises the direction in which 'New India' is heading,' he said.
2- PM Modi's Carrot Halwa Question
The Prime Minister asked whether the carrot halwa that Shubhanshu Shukla carried from India had been shared with his fellow astronauts.
The astronaut said that he brought along several traditional Indian delicacies to the space station, including carrot halwa, moong dal halwa, and aam ras. He expressed his intent to offer his international colleagues a taste of India's rich culinary heritage.
Shukla also informed PM Modi that the astronauts all sat together and enjoyed the dishes, which were very well received.
3- 16 Sunrise And Sunset
The PM, stating that circumambulation, or 'parikrama', has been a revered Indian tradition for centuries, said that Shukla now had the rare honour of performing 'parikrama' of Mother Earth herself.
PM Modi inquired which part of the Earth Shubhanshu might be orbiting over at that moment. Responding to that, the astronaut said a short while earlier, he had seen through the window that they were passing over Hawaii. He shared that they complete 16 orbits a day, witnessing 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets from space, an experience that continues to amaze him.
4- Did Shubhanshu Shukla Strap His Feet?
Highlighting that Shubhanshu Shukla was the first Indian to be on board the ISS, the Prime Minister enquired with him about the contrast between his rigorous preparation on Earth and the actual conditions aboard the space station. The astronaut shared that despite knowing about zero gravity and the nature of experiments in advance, the reality in orbit was entirely different
He remarked that the human body becomes so accustomed to gravity that even the smallest tasks in microgravity become unexpectedly complex. He humorously noted that during the conversation, he had to strap his feet down—otherwise, he would just float away.
5- Experiments In Space
PM Modi asked whether any of the space experiments being conducted would benefit the agriculture or health sector in the future. Shubhanshu Shukla shared that, for the first time, Indian scientists have designed seven unique experiments which he has taken to the space station. He informed that the first experiment, scheduled for that day, focuses on stem cells and explained that in the absence of gravity, the body experiences muscle loss, and the experiment seeks to test whether specific supplements can prevent or delay this loss. He highlighted that the outcome of this study could directly help elderly people on Earth who face age-related muscle degeneration. Shubhanshu further stated that another experiment focuses on the growth of microalgae. He remarked that though microalgae are small in size, they are highly nutritious. He noted that if methods can be developed to grow them in larger quantities based on the findings in space, it could significantly aid food security on Earth. He underlined that one major advantage of conducting experiments in space is the accelerated pace of biological processes, enabling researchers to obtain results much faster than on Earth.
Axiom 4 Mission
Axiom 4 mission aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully docked at the ISS on Thursday. The Dragon spacecraft was ahead of schedule, autonomously docking at 4:05 pm (IST) to the space-facing port of the space station's Harmony module.
As per ANI, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, ESA (European Space Agency) astronauts Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary lifted off at Noon IST on June 25, on the SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
The Axiom-4 team will remain aboard the ISS for up to 14 days, engaging in science experiments, outreach, and commercial work.
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