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Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Daily routine of astronauts at ISS includes physical exercise, important to stay healthy and fit, says Shubhanshu Shukla
Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla Tuesday said that astronauts have to perform daily exercise in order to stay fit and healthy while at the International Space Station (ISS). In his second and final week at the ISS as part of the ongoing Axiom-4 mission, India's Group Captain Shukla spoke to students during an interaction via ham radio communication. Lasting under ten minutes starting around 2pm on Tuesday, this was the second radio communication he made back to India. It was facilitated by the Amateur Radio on International Space Station (ARISS) with the call connected via telebridge to the North East Space Application Centre of ISRO. During the call, he emphasised how physical fitness is key to astronauts while at the ISS and that the orbiting observatory offers a mini gym for the astronauts. 'Believe it or not, there is a treadmill, a cycle and also a strength training machine known as the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED). Every day, astronauts have to exercise in order to maintain their health and fitness. Staying healthy and fit in microgravity conditions is very important,' he replied to the question on fitness. Shukla shared that his body, too, faced space sickness soon after reaching the ISS last week. 'On earth, we have gravity acting on us but it is not the same in space. The body does go through some changes (when in a space environment) but it adapted quickly. Anyways, in case somebody feels unwell at the ISS then there are medications available to deal with space sickness,' he said. Earlier this week, his smiling photographs emerged from the cupola or the Earth-viewing vantage point and the Indian Air Force's (IAF) test pilot reiterated that looking back at the earth was beautiful and that it was an amazing experience. On the ongoing science experiments designed by the ISRO, Shukla said that some data cleaning was performed. He elaborated further, 'Many factors affect the biological processes at the ISS but it is particularly affected by the unique environmental conditions — microgravity and the enhanced radiations. Whereas on Earth, its magnetic field and the layer of atmosphere protect it.' He credited the extensive and intense training during the past several months, and his training as test pilot by the IAF, have helped him during the ongoing mission onboard the ISS. He mentioned in detail how the training focused on facing abnormal conditions and emergencies on ISS. 'Facing an emergency at ISS cannot be ruled out. For, the maximum time duration of our on-ground training extensively focused on all possible scenarios that can go wrong onboard the ISS. We are well versed and trained to handle any emergency on the ISS,' he said. Another doubt that the students quizzed Shukla was the time zone being followed onboard the ISS. 'We do see the sun rise and sun sets but our daily activities are not guided by the sunlight but by time. We follow the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT),' he noted. Encouraging young students to pursue science and that he will be available to guide the next generation of Gaganyatris, Shukla said, 'I will be back with you guys soon and will guide you all. Many kids from small and big towns are going to become astronauts.' Ending the conversation on a positive and motivational note, Group Captain Shukla said, 'When you kids grow up, who knows, you may be the first one to be put on the moon.' On July 4, Shukla had made the maiden communication via ham radio during which he interacted with students tuned-in from Thiruvananthapuram and Lucknow.
India Gazette
08-07-2025
- Science
- India Gazette
"Lot of kids from... will become astronauts in the future": Group Captain Shukla during call with students onboard ISS
New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian at the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Axion Mission 4, on Tuesday held an inspirational interaction with the students at the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) in Meghalaya, expressing confidence that many children from 'small towns, big towns and all kinds of towns' across India will one day become astronauts in the future. 'I think they can and they will. Just keep working hard, and I am going to be back there and will guide you. I am very sure a lot of kids from small towns, big towns, and all kinds of towns will become astronauts in the future,' the Group Captain said through a ham radio call from the space station, encouraging the young audience to pursue their dreams relentlessly. The Group Captain who launched to the ISS on June 25 as part of Axiom Mission 4 shared his insights into his journey and the challenges of space travel he endured during his training as well as his time at the ISS. He drew similarities between the training as a fighter pilot for the Indian Air Force and the training he received for the mission, noting that a lot of data training was required for becoming an astronaut. 'Training as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force and being an astronaut have a lot of similarities. I was benefited because of having the knowledge of the system and being aware of the routine required for such a mission. It did help me a lot. There was a lot of data training we needed to do to become an astronaut,' he explained. On the conditions aboard the ISS, the Group Captain noted they are markedly different from Earth due to microgravity and enhanced radiation. 'The conditions in the ISS are very unique because of microgravity first. That affects a lot of biological processes. The second is the enhanced radiation. As you are aware, the atmosphere and magnetic field of the Earth protect us from the radiation. But in space, the radiation is higher. There are two of the many other aspects that affect the living experience here,' he stated. These factors, including muscle and bone loss due to microgravity, necessitate rigorous health maintenance, with Group Captain Shukla mentioning the use of a treadmill, cycle, and the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) for staying aboard the ISS. 'Staying healthy and fit in microgravity is very important because on Earth we have a big load on our body because of gravity... So you have muscle loss and bone loss as well. We have a treadmill in the ISS, a cycle, and a strength training machine called ARED,' he noted. For the Group Captain, safety and emergency preparedness are paramount, as evidenced by the extensive training undertaken for 'off-nominal scenarios'. 'We train extensively as a team on the ground for all possible scenarios that can go wrong. Maximum training goes into practising for off-nominal scenarios. We are well-versed and very well-trained to handle any emergencies that can happen on the ISS,' he assured. The Group Captain also touched on the awe-inspiring view of Earth from space. 'It was a great experience... It was the first time I got to look back at the Earth from above... It was an amazing experience,' he recounted. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, part of Axiom Mission 4, launched on June 25 from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 3:21 am ET on Wednesday, aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. Group Captain Shukla is serving as Mission Pilot on the four-member Axiom Mission 4 and piloted the Dragon spacecraft, which successfully docked with the ISS on June 26, ahead of schedule, autonomously docking at 4:05 pm (IST) to the space-facing port of the space station's Harmony module. The Ax-4 crew is expected to stay aboard the space station for up to 14 days. (ANI)
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How did Nasa's Suni and Butch fill nine months in space?
Voting, enjoying Christmas dinner and keeping fit in zero gravity - that's just some of what has kept Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams busy during their prolonged stay on the International Space Station (ISS). After nine months, the pair are finally making their way home in a SpaceX Dragon capsule. So what has life been like for the Nasa astronauts orbiting 250 miles (400km) above us, and how have they passed the time? Astronauts reveal what life is like on ISS – and how they deal with 'space smell' Of course there was a lot of serious space stuff to keep them occupied. Suni, 59, and Butch, 62, have been helping ongoing missions at the station with maintenance and experiments, and have conducted spacewalks. Suni ventured outside in mid-January with fellow astronaut Nick Hague to perform repairs on the craft. She and Butch went out together later in the month. Their tasks included repairing equipment that governs station orientation, adding light filters on the NICER X-ray telescope, and replacing a reflector device on an international docking adapter. Butch and Suni have taken the situation in their stride, saying in a news conference in September that they have been trained to "expect the unexpected". They have definitely had opportunities for reflection about life back home - and for watching a lot of sunrises and sunsets. As the space station makes 16 orbits of Earth every 24 hours, it travels through 16 sunrises and sunsets, treating those on board to a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. Living with such a unique view of the Earth gives plenty of room for contemplating it, something Suni has acknowledged. "It opens up the door to making you think a bit differently. It's the one planet we have and we should be taking care of it," she said. "There are so many people on Earth sending us messages it makes you feel right at home with everybody." Butch and Suni and the two other Americans who were on board with them, Don Pettit and Nick Hague, each had the opportunity to vote in last year's US election. "It's a very important duty that we have as citizens," Suni said to reporters. Butch said Nasa had made it "very easy" for them to be included in elections. To facilitate their voting, the Mission Control Center in Houston sent ballot papers via encrypted email to the ISS. The astronauts then filled them out and transmitted them to satellites which relayed them to a ground terminal in New Mexico. From there, landlines transmitted the ballots to Mission Control, who then electronically sent them to the astronauts' county clerks for filing. For Butch, the day starts at 04:30, and as for Suni, she makes a slightly kinder 06:30 start. Both have said they enjoy the two hours or more of exercise they must do daily to combat the loss of bone density from living in space. "Your joints don't hurt, which is quite nice," Butch has said. Three different machines help to counter the effect of living in zero gravity. The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) is used for squats, deadlifts, and rows that work all the muscle groups. For treadmills crews must strap in to stop themselves floating away, and there is also a cycle ergometer for endurance training. At Christmas, astronauts on the International Space Station posted a festive message in which they wished their friends and family on Earth a merry Christmas. The team dressed in Santa hats and reindeer antlers, throwing the slowly gyrating microphone to each other to speak while candy canes floated around their heads. It was a chance for the crew to let their hair down, though in Suni's case it was more a case of letting it 'up'. Zero gravity has given her a style that would take a lot of product to achieve on Earth. To everyone on Earth, Merry Christmas from our @NASA_Astronauts aboard the International @Space_Station. — NASA (@NASA) December 23, 2024 One of Butch and Suni's final duties on board the ISS was to make their replacements feel welcome. On 16 March a SpaceX capsule carrying a new crew arrived at the ISS. It was a deeply significant event for Butch and Suni, as it paved the way for them to come home. Capturing the excitement, Don Pettit, who will remain on the ISS, posted this video shot through the window of it approaching and docking. Crew 10 Dragon vehicle arriving! — Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) March 16, 2025 Butch rang a ceremonial bell as Suni handed over command to cosmonaut Alexei Ovchinin.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How did Nasa's Suni and Butch fill nine months in space?
Voting, enjoying Christmas dinner and keeping fit in zero gravity - that's just some of what has kept Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams busy during their prolonged stay on the International Space Station (ISS). So what has life been like for the Nasa astronauts orbiting 250 miles (400km) above us, and how have they passed the time? Astronauts reveal what life is like on ISS – and how they deal with 'space smell' Of course there was a lot of serious space stuff to keep them occupied. Suni, 59, and Butch, 62, have been helping ongoing missions at the station with maintenance and experiments, and have conducted spacewalks. Suni ventured outside in mid-January with fellow astronaut Nick Hague to perform repairs on the craft. She and Butch went out together later in the month. Their tasks included repairing equipment that governs station orientation, adding light filters on the NICER X-ray telescope, and replacing a reflector device on an international docking adapter. Butch and Suni have taken the situation in their stride, saying in a news conference in September that they have been trained to "expect the unexpected". They have definitely had opportunities for reflection about life back home - and for watching a lot of sunrises and sunsets. As the space station makes 16 orbits of Earth every 24 hours, it travels through 16 sunrises and sunsets, treating those on board to a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. Living with such a unique view of the Earth gives plenty of room for contemplating it, something Suni has acknowledged. "It opens up the door to making you think a bit differently. It's the one planet we have and we should be taking care of it," she said. "There are so many people on Earth sending us messages it makes you feel right at home with everybody." Butch and Suni and the two other Americans who were on board with them, Don Pettit and Nick Hague, each had the opportunity to vote in last year's US election. "It's a very important duty that we have as citizens," Suni said to reporters. Butch said Nasa had made it "very easy" for them to be included in elections. To facilitate their voting, the Mission Control Center in Houston sent ballot papers via encrypted email to the ISS. The astronauts then filled them out and transmitted them to satellites which relayed them to a ground terminal in New Mexico. From there, landlines transmitted the ballots to Mission Control, who then electronically sent them to the astronauts' county clerks for filing. For Butch, the day starts at 04:30, and as for Suni, she makes a slightly kinder 06:30 start. Both have said they enjoy the two hours or more of exercise they must do daily to combat the loss of bone density from living in space. "Your joints don't hurt, which is quite nice," Butch has said. Three different machines help to counter the effect of living in zero gravity. The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) is used for squats, deadlifts, and rows that work all the muscle groups. For treadmills crews must strap in to stop themselves floating away, and there is also a cycle ergometer for endurance training. At Christmas, astronauts on the International Space Station posted a festive message in which they wished their friends and family on Earth a merry Christmas. The team dressed in Santa hats and reindeer antlers, throwing the slowly gyrating microphone to each other to speak while candy canes floated around their heads. It was a chance for the crew to let their hair down, though in Suni's case it was more a case of letting it 'up'. Zero gravity has given her a style that would take a lot of product to achieve on Earth. One of Butch and Suni's final duties on board the ISS was to make their replacements feel welcome. On 16 March a SpaceX capsule carrying a new crew arrived at the ISS. It was a deeply significant event for Butch and Suni, as it paved the way for them to come home. Capturing the excitement, Don Pettit, who will remain on the ISS, posted this video shot through the window of it approaching and docking. Butch rang a ceremonial bell as Suni handed over command to cosmonaut Alexei Ovchinin.
