
How Shubhanshu Shukla Sees Earth From Space As He Adjusts To Zero Gravity
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is getting the incredible views of Mother Earth as he orbits the planet - seeing 16 sunsets and 16 sunrises. Mr Shukla and his Axiom-4 space mission colleagues are learning more about the safety at the International Space Station and shifting cargo, and essentially setting up their new but temporary home in space.
One of the astronauts, Peggy Whitson, posted a picture of Earth on X, saying she has "missed the view".
I've missed this view! #Ax4 pic.twitter.com/BEj1rSE7Yc
— Peggy Whitson (@AstroPeggy) June 27, 2025
Mr Shukla is feeling well and continues his activities at the space station.
For Group Captain Shukla, day two at ISS will begin with setting up experiments. His first day was spent setting up his new home by shifting cargo from the Grace capsule to the space station. Mr Shukla is still learning and integrating with the Space-11 at the ISS.
According to Axiom Space, the Axiom crew continued adjusting to life in microgravity, and the crew focused on integration with the resident Expedition 73 crew. Together, they completed training on handover protocols and emergency procedures, ensuring seamless coordination. The crew transferred high-priority cargo and emergency equipment between Dragon and the space station. This included payloads, essential supplies, and safety gear, all carefully logged and stowed for operations.
Dziękuję za Wasze wsparcie. Czuję je cały czas 🇵🇱 Praca nad naszymi eksperymentami w mikrograwitacji rozpoczęta!
Thank you for your support. I feel it every step of the way 🇵🇱 The work on our experiments in microgravity has begun! #IGNIS #Ax4 #astro_slawosz
📷 @AstroPeggy … pic.twitter.com/7wGzgEV6Qg
— Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (@astro_slawosz) June 27, 2025
The Ax-4 astronauts also began preparing for their research studies. They initiated setup for several experiments and began transferring samples to designated modules.
Looking ahead to tomorrow, the crew will continue finalising the setup for research and technology demonstrations.
According to NASA, on Friday, Ax-4 quickly got to work unloading sample-packed hardware and portable science freezers from inside Dragon for installation in station incubators and research refrigerators ahead of upcoming experiments. Station safety hardware was also temporarily transferred inside Dragon, as is customary for visiting spacecraft. The private astronaut quartet later joined the Expedition 73 crew for more safety reviews to learn their roles and responsibilities and communication protocols with mission controllers in the unlikely event of an emergency on the orbital outpost, the space agency said.
Meanwhile, Expedition 73 kept up its daily research schedule with a space exercise study, eye exams, and lunar photography. Cargo transfers and life support maintenance rounded out the crew's day.
There are eleven astronauts at the space station, hence the Space-11 are right now gelling up to become one weightless family.
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With the second astronaut ever and India as pilot, it is a very big signal to the world of India's space power position. Through the tieups between US, India, Nasa, Isro, and Axiom, we have created a new era of collaboration that has brought together multiple capabilities and opened up space for everyone. So, it's a kind of outsourcing wherein Isro has given the job to Axiom to send its astronaut to space? Correct, it would be no different in my opinion like Isro utilising Skyroot (Indian space startup for space launch services) to send cargo or payloads to space. Do you have more missions planned with Isro or the Indian government? Live Events The intention and the desire are much more than the Axiom-4 mission. I expect to see significant missions coming up in the future, from more human spaceflights to our space station programme, and to the spacesuit that Axiom is building. (Nasa's astronauts will use an Axiom spacesuit for the Artemis lunar mission). I think India has a very big responsibility now on the world stage to be a leader in the new space economy. Could we look forward to more human spaceflights in future with Indian astronauts? Yes. Axiom is also providing services to any private astronaut who wants to go to space. How does it work? With this opening up of access to space through Axiom, a private individual could also do this. Thcommitment here is no different than a nation or a professional astronaut, which is, eight months to a year of rigorous training. You can't just go to the ISS for fun. You have to know what you're doing, be very well prepared, very well-trained and certified to go up. So, anyone from India, with the means, could also do this. How much do you charge for sending an astronaut to ISS? I can't speak specifics of any particular contract but in general, a pilot seat is $70 million, and mission specialist seats are $65 million each. 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