ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla floats in space in new video: ‘Like our minds in…'
Shubhanshu Shukla said it was a bit challenging initially as you are learning to move in microgravity and also getting to know the station. With a smiling emoji, Shukla said, "Apparently being still is a challenge with or without gravity."
Shubhanshu Shukla took to Instagram to share a video wherein he could be seen floating in space. The video, he said, was shot only days after he reached the International Space Station.
"This video was a few days into the mission when I finally had better control over my movements. What I wanted to do was to be just still but clearly failed," Shukla wrote in the video's caption.
Shukla, who became India's first astronaut to conduct research on the ISS, likened the stillness of body in space to the stillness of mind in a "fast-moving world."
"Any small disturbance can move your body in space and it takes skill to be completely still. Kind of like our minds in this fast moving world. Take some time to be still today. It is important to sometimes slow down to be fast," Shukla posted on social media on Saturday.
Shukla returned to Earth on June 15 when the Dragon Grace spacecraft carrying him and three other astronauts of the Axiom-4 mission splashed down off San Diego coast in California.
Shukla, or "Shux", his call sign among colleagues and nickname for friends, became the first Indian on the ISS and the second after legendary Rakesh Sharma to venture into space.
Right now, he is in Houston. His wife Kamna, and their six-year-old son, Kiash, are already there. According to an official statement quoting Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Shukla and the three other astronauts of the mission will remain in quarantine until July 23 to complete medical and re-adaptation procedures.
During the 20-day mission, Shukla spent 18 days on the International Space Station, conducting microgravity experiments designed by ISRO as also by NASA. The astronauts orbited the earth 320 times and travelled over 135.18 lakh kms during their stay in space.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
NEP push in Delhi puts focus on Indian knowledge systems in teacher training
The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Delhi has pushed for the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020, which emphasises the study of Indian knowledge systems (IKS) in schools. This has led to the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Delhi, to become 'more focused' on training its students on integrating IKS into their lesson plans, said Professor Abha Sharma, Principal, SCERT's Division. 'We had been trying to integrate it [IKS training in the two-year programme] for the past couple of years. But it became possible only after a push by the new government in Delhi to implement the NEP,' Prof. Sharma told The Hindu. She added that the training is aimed at teaching 'things that are not necessarily taught in books, in an attempt to create global teachers with 21st-century skills'. As an example, she cites a popular claim in India, 'We have always been taught that the Wright brothers flew the first aircraft. But the first aircraft was actually flown in India by Bapuji Talpade in Mumbai in 1895, eight years before the Wright brothers.' 'Chemicals in Mahabharata' As part of the IKS training, the students are also being taught about how Sushruta performed an eye surgery as far back as the 6th century and how certain chemicals are mention in the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. The budding teachers are expected to use their training while teaching their respective subjects at schools to help 'students learn more about India's culture'. Prof. Sharma said that they began placing a greater emphasis on IKS training for the 2023-2025 batch, which graduated recently. 'We will now do it more comprehensively for the newer batches. The students will be trained on how to make their pedagogy plans using the pancha kosha philosophy,' she added. The concept of 'pancha kosha (five layers)' of consciousness has its origins in the Upanishads. The NEP, which aims to integrate IKS in all levels of education, states, 'The rich heritage of ancient and eternal Indian knowledge and thought has been a guiding light for this policy. The pursuit of knowledge (jnan), wisdom (pragya), and truth (satya) was always considered in Indian thought and philosophy as the highest human goal.' 'Will use it in school' Koushiki Chatterjee, who specialises in chemistry and was part of the batch that just passed out said, 'In the Mahabharata, Arjuna used certain chemicals as make-up to disguise himself as a woman. While teaching chemistry during an internship, I mentioned it to my students.' Deepali, a second-year student who will be teaching at a school in August as part of her internship, said, 'While teaching chemistry, I can teach students about the states of matter, and how ice melts, while touching upon the concept of annamaya kosha (the outer physical layer of the body, which is one of pancha koshas).' 'Pranamaya kosha (energy layer) comes into play when I am teaching students about how liquid changes to gas, as there is a transfer of energy,' she added. Similarly, Ms. Deepali said she will employ the concept of anandamaya kosha (the spiritual level) when asking students 'to reflect on where they see chemistry in their daily lives'.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Flash floods rising, new hotspots emerging across India: IIT study
Dehradun: A new study by researchers at IIT Gandhinagar has warned that flash floods – sudden, high-intensity events triggered by extreme rainfall – are becoming more frequent and severe across India. Titled 'Drivers of Flash Floods in the Indian Subcontinental River Basins', the study documents the emergence of flash floods in regions previously considered low-risk. The study points out that semi-arid zones in central India, where flash floods were uncommon, are now seeing more such events due to rising high-intensity rainfall. The western Himalayas face added risk from cloudbursts and snowmelt, which often trigger localised floods, debris flows, and landslides, the study adds. Vulnerable river basins include the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Godavari, with new risks emerging along the southeast coast during the northeast monsoon and in Andhra Pradesh during the pre-monsoon season. Notably, earlier this week, heavy rainfall had triggered flash floods that wreaked havoc in parts of Madhya Pradesh. Several areas in Chhatarpur village were completely submerged as rivers and canals overflowed. More than a dozen people had to be rescued from the affected regions. The study also highlights an uptick in intense, short-duration rainfall across peninsular and western India, as well as the lower Himalayas -- trends linked to a warming climate. Even areas with historically low rainfall are now at risk, as dry soils increasingly repel water, converting moderate rain into dangerous runoff,the study says, adding that this shift necessitates the need for regular updates to flood risk maps. The study noted that India sees around 10,000 flash floods annually, affecting over 90 million hectares of land, citing data from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The Himalayas, west coast, and central India have emerged as key hotspots for such events, the study says. In the Himalayas, steep terrain and dense drainage systems are intensifying the threat, while central India and the Western Ghats face high flashiness – a rapid streamflow response to rainfall – exacerbated by low soil moisture. The researchers found that nearly 75% of flash floods result from extreme rainfall coupled with saturated or dry soils that limit absorption, causing rapid runoff. The remaining 25% stem from short, intense downpours, often under six hours, that can overwhelm even well-drained areas. The researchers called for the integration of geomorphological and real-time hydrological data to strengthen flash flood forecasting. Sub-basin-level assessments, they noted, are critical for early warning systems, especially in hilly regions. The findings point to an urgent need for climate-resilient infrastructure, better land-use planning, and robust disaster management, they added. "The findings have significant implications for flash flood management in India. The study highlights the need for region-specific adaptation strategies tailored to local topography and antecedent basin conditions, as not all extreme rainfall events result in flash floods. Recognising potential new flash flood hotspots is crucial for urban planning and infrastructure resilience in a changing climate," said Vimal Mishra, one of the authors.
India Today
4 hours ago
- India Today
Indian Army backs IIT Ropar's project to build next-gen surveillance drones
New drone systems under development at IIT Ropar may soon assist the Indian Army in critical surveillance and frontline operations. Inside its Centre of Drones and Autonomous Systems (CoDRAS), a team of researchers and students is working on technologies, learnt the Statesman, that aim to reduce India's dependence on foreign defence focus: building autonomous drones that can land on war-zone terrain and estimate geo-locations in real-time, efforts that reflect India's growing push for indigenous defence job of the team is to fit into a larger national plan which is to reduce India's dependence on foreign drone systems and make its aerial surveillance and response more self-reliant. As part of this, the team is creating next-generation flight algorithms, artificial intelligence for drone navigation, and secure communication elements are being designed to help India's defence forces monitor, respond, and operate with greater control, and without fear of sensitive data leaving national BACKS IIT ROPAR'S DRONE TECH PROJECTSTwo major projects are currently in advanced development. Both have been initiated at the request of the Indian first involves autonomous landing capabilities for drones in war zones, a task that requires precision, reliability, and the ability to adapt to dynamic and rugged terrain. The second project focuses on real-time geo-location and aerial latter project involves more than just mapping. Led by Principal Investigator Dr Jha, with Senior Research Fellow Shivam Kainth and Research Intern Kanwarveer Singh, the team is developing systems that allow drones to identify objects, detect movement, and track changes in physical landscapes, including in thick has direct applications for border surveillance, particularly in areas where human patrol is difficult and visual clarity is a related move, IIT Ropar has also signed an MoU with AVPL, a Gurugram-based drone technology both are planning to develop fully indigenous drones, including the hardware, software, and intelligence that runs will ensure that the entire supply chain, from design to deployment, remains under Indian is happening at IIT Ropar is quiet but determined, a steady step toward technological self-reliance, grounded not in theory, but in readiness for what may come next.- EndsMust Watch
