Wicked smart, focussed: Listen to what Axiom crew says about India's Shubhanshu Shukla
All eyes are on the Ax-4 space mission featuring Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, which is scheduled for June 10, 2025, at 8:22 am (local time), with a backup window available on Wednesday, June 11. Final preparations for the historic launch are underway as the Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Dragon spacecraft for the Axiom Mission 4, has been rolled out to the Launch Complex 39A at Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.advertisementAs Shukla now prepares to fly to space on his 14-day mission that will take him through the skies, nearly 400 kilometres above the planet, the US space agency and his fellow crew members are super excited, who acknowledge that the Indian astronaut is a key asset for the mission, according to him adjectives like "wicked smart" and "focussed". Two days ahead of the targeted launch, private space agency Axiom Space released an introductory video describing Shubhanshu Shukla and shedding light on his capabilities and his career so far as an astronaut. Apart from Shukla, the Ax-4 crew also comprises US astronaut Peggy Whitson, Polish astronaut Sawosz Uznaski-Winiewski and Hungary's Tibor Kapu.
"From the Indian Space Research Orgsanisation (Isro), Ax-4 pilot Shubhanshu Shukla," the video begins by saying, followed by the Indian astronaut introducing himself, talking about his dreams and the journey so far. Moments later, Shukla's Hungarian crewmate Tibor Kapu is heard saying about him, "Shuks's wisdom, the knowledge he possesses, shows he could be 130-years-old".advertisementUS astronaut Peggi Whitson deeply appreciated Shukla's operational capabilities and knowledge of spacecraft technologies."For me, having me as my pilot in the dragon capsule is great. He is already operational-savy, and he is just wicked smart when it comes to spacecraft technologies," Whitson said."He is very focussed. He will go one, two, three, four in record time. I don't even know, how he gets there so fast," said Polish astronaut Sawosz Uznaski-Winiewski while speaking about the value Shukla adds to the mission.The 39-year-old Indian space pilot, in return, heaped high praise on his crewmates, describing them as a "fantastic" squad, saying they would be his "friends for life".Shubhanshu Shukla termed his time preparing for the Axiom Mission 4 an amazing journey. "The are the moments that really tell you that you are a part of something much larger than yourself. I can only say, how extremely fortunate I am to be a part of this," Shukla is seen as saying, flanked by his crewmates.The video also sheds light on Shukla's journey from a child to becoming an astronaut and being chosen for the ambitious space mission. Shukla also spoke about his idol Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian astronaut to fly to space in 1984, saying he was deeply impressed by him.advertisementTowards the end of the video, Shukla is heard talking about his future plans and endeavours, saying, like his idol Sharma, he would also like to inspire the next generation to take up space science as career and strive to become an astronaut."Even if my story is able to change one life, it will be a huge success for me," he concludes.Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's flight to the International Space Station (ISS) has been postponed twice.Originally scheduled for May 29 and then rescheduled to June 8, the mission was pushed further due to operational adjustments and quarantine protocols last week.Shukla, who will serve as the mission's pilot, is set to make history as the first Indian to visit the ISS and only the second Indian in space, following Rakesh Sharma's iconic 1984 mission.Must Watch
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