Latest news with #Shux
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Science
- Time of India
From classroom to cosmos: Shubhanshu Shukla's wife looks back & ahead
HARBOR ISLAND-MELBOURNE BEACH (FLORIDA): When Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla lifts off to space aboard the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission on June 10 for a two-week stay on the ISS, it won't just mark a milestone for India. For his wife Kamna, it's another chapter in a life shaped quietly around duty, friendship, and long familiarity. Speaking exclusively to TOI just days ahead of the launch from Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre here, Kamna shared what this journey has meant to her—as a partner, as a parent, and as someone who's known 'Shux' since childhood. 'As you go on this incredible journey, I am extremely proud of you. You're not just reaching for the stars, you are inspiring so many of us back home. Just shine bright and do your duty to your best, as you always do.' Kamna's Message To Shux 'It was in the beginning of 2020,' she recalled, when it first felt real that Shukla might actually go to space. 'One of the criteria for Gaganyaan aspirants was that they had to be test pilots. It's such a small community that we were elated, because whoever it may be, he would be known to us. That small idea has become an incredible reality now.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo At home, Shux is a man of routine and quiet resolve. 'He loves his workouts, non-fiction books, to goof around with his six-year-old son. But when you talk about his fearlessness, he's taken immense risks. He left his life as a fighter pilot and stepped into the uncharted world of spaceflight. From making decisions in microseconds to doing delicate experiments in micrograms—it's a complete shift,' she said. Her favourite image of him, though, is less about space and more about spirit. 'There's a never-say-never attitude in him that's very special. You'll often find him quoting Dory from Finding Nemo—just keep swimming. There may be a fire anywhere, but he focuses on solutions. That's his forte.' Of the rest of the Ax-4 crew, Kamna said they are now more than colleagues. 'They call themselves friends for life. Their experience in microgravity will bind them forever. I'm so glad Shux found these friends—and all of them adore our son Sid.' Kamna and Shukla first met in primary school. 'We've studied together since Class 3. We've been best friends. I've known him as Gunjan, as Shubhanshu—the shy guy in our classroom—who's now inspiring so many people.' But being married to someone on this path means living with distance and missed milestones. 'These things do get overwhelming, especially Shux missing Sid's early childhood. He finds that deeply painful,' she admitted. 'But he's incredibly focused, like Arjuna [from Mahabharat]—he only sees the target.' Her way of coping has been to embrace anticipation over anxiety: 'You can either be overwhelmed or be excited. We chose excitement. Nothing worthwhile comes without risk. With challenge comes glory—that's the mindset.' Sid is still too young to fully grasp what's unfolding. 'It's all just exciting for him. He thinks everyone's father is an astronaut. When we visited Nasa, he was thrilled to see rockets and suits. But when asked what he liked most, he said, 'deers in Nasa's park are very nice'. That's his comprehension for now. I'm sure when he grows up, he'll be super proud.' Asked how she'd want Sid to remember this time, Kamna said: 'I'd tell him his father was the chosen one. Lucky to represent his beautiful country and its 1.4 billion people. Fortune favours the brave, and Shux is the bravest person I know. He left his love for flying to enter an unknown territory. He reaches for the stars—and yet, he remains grounded.' Back home, they know this is only the beginning. 'He has immense responsibility. The Axiom mission is a stepping stone for India's Gaganyaan programme . Whatever he learns will help the country. He'll be quite busy once he returns.' But first, the launch. And for Kamna, it's like every other take-off in a fighter pilot's life. 'I never attended his take-offs. Out of sight, out of mind—that's how I cope. I haven't thought about the launch day. We go with the flow. We're filled with gratitude. We'll take it as it comes.'
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- Science
- The Hindu
Extremely fortunate to be part of space mission, says Indian astronaut Shukla ahead of June 10 launch
Ahead of his historic journey to the International Space Station (ISS), Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has termed the preparations for the Axiom-4 mission an "amazing journey" and that he was extremely fortunate to be part of something that is "much larger than yourself". The 39-year-old Indian Air Force pilot is all set to travel with three other crew members to the ISS onboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, mounted on a Falcon 9 rocket, that will lift off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Tuesday (June 10, 2025) at 5:52 p.m. IST. Mr. Shukla, who goes by the nickname "Shux", will be the second Indian to travel to space, 41 years after his idol Rakesh Sharma undertook a spaceflight in 1984 onboard the erstwhile Soviet Union's Soyuz spacecraft for an eight-day stay in orbit. "It has been an amazing journey; these are the moments that really tell you that you are getting to be a part of something that is much larger than yourself. I can only say how extremely fortunate I am to be a part of this," Lucknow-born Mr. Shukla said in a short video issued by Axiom Space ahead of Tuesday's (June 10, 2025) launch. Mr. Shukla's crewmates, Commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, describe him as "operational-savvy", "focused" and "wicked smart" when it comes to space technologies. "Shux's wisdom, the knowledge he possesses, shows he could be 130-years-old," said Mr. Kapu, the second Hungarian astronaut to travel to space since 1980. "For me, having him as my pilot in the dragon capsule is great. He is already operational-savvy and he is just wicked smart when it comes to spacecraft technologies," said Mr. Whitson, a veteran U.S. astronaut who has spent 675 days in space and undertaken 10 spacewalks. Mr. Slawosz said Mr. Shukla is very focussed in his approach and quick to respond to situations. "He is very focused. He will go one, two, three, four in record time. I don't even know how he gets there so fast," the Polish astronaut said. 'A fantastic squad' Mr. Shukla heaped high praise on his crewmates, describing them as a "fantastic" squad, saying they would be his "friends for life". SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket and the Dragon space capsule were rolled out to the launchpad 39A at the KSC in Florida on Saturday (June 7, 2025). The Axiom-4 (or Ax-4) crew checked on the spacecraft that they will travel into the ISS. "Launch is targeted for 8.22 a.m. ET, with a backup opportunity available on Wednesday (June 11, 2025), at 8 a.m. ET," SpaceX announced in an update about the mission. The Axiom Space video also showcases Mr. Shukla's journey from being a child to becoming an astronaut and being chosen for the ambitious space mission. "This journey that I am has been a long one for me. It started out somewhere, I didn't know that this is the path it is going to finally take," Mr. Shukla said. "I would say that I am extremely fortunate and extremely lucky to have had opportunities to first fly all my life, which is a dream job for me, and then to have the opportunity to apply for the astronaut corps, and now be here," he said. Mr. Shukla said that, like his idol Rakesh Sharma, he would also like to inspire the next generation to take up space science as a career and strive to become an astronaut.
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Business Standard
8 hours ago
- Science
- Business Standard
Extremely fortunate to be part of space mission: Indian astronaut Shukla
Ahead of his historic journey to the International Space Station (ISS), Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has termed the preparations for the Axiom-4 mission as an "amazing journey" and that he was extremely fortunate to be part of something that is "much larger than yourself". The 39-year-old Indian Air Force pilot is all set to travel with three other crew members to the ISS onboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, mounted on a Falcon 9 rocket, that will lift off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Tuesday at 5:52 pm IST. Shukla, who goes by the nickname "Shux", will be the second Indian to travel to space, 41 years after his idol Rakesh Sharma undertook a spaceflight in 1984 onboard erstwhile Soviet Union's Soyuz spacecraft for an eight-day stay in orbit. "It has been an amazing journey; these are the moments that really tell you that you are getting to be a part of something that is much larger than yourself. I can only say how extremely fortunate I am to be a part of this," Lucknow-born Shukla said in a short video issued by Axiom Space ahead of Tuesday's launch. Shukla's crewmates, commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, describe him as "operational-savvy", "focussed" and "wicked smart" when it comes to space technologies. "Shux's wisdom, the knowledge he possesses, shows he could be 130 years old," said Kapu, the second Hungarian astronaut to travel to space since 1980. "For me, having him as my pilot in the dragon capsule is great. He is already operational-savvy, and he is just wicked smart when it comes to spacecraft technologies," said Whitson, a veteran US astronaut who has spent 675 days in space and undertaken 10 spacewalks. Slawosz said Shukla is very focussed in his approach and quick to respond to situations. "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," the Polish astronaut said. Shukla heaped high praise on his crewmates, describing them as a "fantastic" squad, saying they would be his "friends for life". SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket and the Dragon space capsule were rolled out to the launchpad 39A at the KSC in Florida on Saturday. The Axiom-4 (or Ax-4) crew checked on the spacecraft they will travel in to the ISS. "Launch is targeted for 8:22 am ET, with a backup opportunity available on Wednesday, June 11 at 8:00 am ET," SpaceX announced in an update about the mission. The Axiom Space video also showcases Shukla's journey from being a child to becoming an astronaut and being chosen for the ambitious space mission. "This journey that I am has been a long one for me. It started out somewhere I didn't know that this is the path it is going to finally take," Shukla said. "I would say that I am extremely fortunate and extremely lucky to have got opportunities to first fly all my life, which is a dream job for me, and then to have the opportunity to apply for the astronaut corps, and now be here," he said. Shukla said that, like his idol Rakesh Sharma, he would also like to inspire the next generation to take up space science as a career and strive to become an astronaut.
The Print
8 hours ago
- Science
- The Print
Extremely fortunate to be part of space mission: Indian astronaut Shukla ahead of Tuesday launch
Shukla, who goes by the nickname 'Shux', will be the second Indian to travel to space, 41 years after his idol Rakesh Sharma undertook a spaceflight in 1984 onboard erstwhile Soviet Union's Soyuz spacecraft for an eight-day stay in orbit. The 39-year-old Indian Air Force pilot is all set to travel with three other crew members to the ISS onboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, mounted on a Falcon 9 rocket, that will lift off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Tuesday at 5:52 pm IST. New Delhi, Jun 8 (PTI) Ahead of his historic journey to the International Space Station (ISS), Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has termed the preparations for the Axiom-4 mission as an 'amazing journey' and that he was extremely fortunate to be part of something that is 'much larger than yourself'. 'It has been an amazing journey; these are the moments that really tell you that you are getting to be a part of something that is much larger than yourself. I can only say how extremely fortunate I am to be a part of this,' Lucknow-born Shukla said in a short video issued by Axiom Space ahead of Tuesday's launch. Shukla's crewmates, commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, describe him as 'operational-savvy', 'focussed' and 'wicked smart' when it comes to space technologies. 'Shux's wisdom, the knowledge he possesses, shows he could be 130 years old,' said Kapu, the second Hungarian astronaut to travel to space since 1980. 'For me, having him as my pilot in the dragon capsule is great. He is already operational-savvy, and he is just wicked smart when it comes to spacecraft technologies,' said Whitson, a veteran US astronaut who has spent 675 days in space and undertaken 10 spacewalks. Slawosz said Shukla is very focussed in his approach and quick to respond to situations. '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,' the Polish astronaut said. Shukla heaped high praise on his crewmates, describing them as a 'fantastic' squad, saying they would be his 'friends for life'. SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket and the Dragon space capsule were rolled out to the launchpad 39A at the KSC in Florida on Saturday. The Axiom-4 (or Ax-4) crew checked on the spacecraft they will travel in to the ISS. 'Launch is targeted for 8:22 am ET, with a backup opportunity available on Wednesday, June 11 at 8:00 am ET,' SpaceX announced in an update about the mission. The Axiom Space video also showcases Shukla's journey from being a child to becoming an astronaut and being chosen for the ambitious space mission. 'This journey that I am on…it has been a long one for me. It started out somewhere I didn't know that this is the path it is going to finally take,' Shukla said. 'I would say that I am extremely fortunate and extremely lucky to have got opportunities to first fly all my life, which is a dream job for me, and then to have the opportunity to apply for the astronaut corps, and now be here,' he said. Shukla said that, like his idol Rakesh Sharma, he would also like to inspire the next generation to take up space science as a career and strive to become an astronaut. PTI SKU AMJ AMJ AMJ This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Science
- Time of India
India's ‘Shux' heads to space: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla calls Axiom-4 mission 'much larger than yourself'
Ahead of his historic journey to the International Space Station (ISS), Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has termed the preparations for the Axiom-4 mission as an "amazing journey" and that he was extremely fortunate to be part of something that is "much larger than yourself". The 39-year-old Indian Air Force pilot is all set to travel with three other crew members to the ISS onboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, mounted on a Falcon 9 rocket , that will lift off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Tuesday at 5:52 pm IST. Shukla, who goes by the nickname "Shux", will be the second Indian to travel to space, 41 years after his idol Rakesh Sharma undertook a spaceflight in 1984 onboard erstwhile Soviet Union's Soyuz spacecraft for an eight-day stay in orbit. "It has been an amazing journey; these are the moments that really tell you that you are getting to be a part of something that is much larger than yourself. I can only say how extremely fortunate I am to be a part of this," Lucknow-born Shukla said in a short video issued by Axiom Space ahead of Tuesday's launch. Shukla's crewmates, commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, describe him as "operational-savvy", "focussed" and "wicked smart" when it comes to space technologies. Live Events "Shux's wisdom, the knowledge he possesses, shows he could be 130 years old," said Kapu, the second Hungarian astronaut to travel to space since 1980. "For me, having him as my pilot in the dragon capsule is great. He is already operational-savvy, and he is just wicked smart when it comes to spacecraft technologies," said Whitson, a veteran US astronaut who has spent 675 days in space and undertaken 10 spacewalks. Slawosz said Shukla is very focussed in his approach and quick to respond to situations. "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," the Polish astronaut said. Shukla heaped high praise on his crewmates, describing them as a "fantastic" squad, saying they would be his "friends for life". SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket and the Dragon space capsule were rolled out to the launchpad 39A at the KSC in Florida on Saturday. The Axiom-4 (or Ax-4) crew checked on the spacecraft they will travel in to the ISS. "Launch is targeted for 8:22 am ET, with a backup opportunity available on Wednesday, June 11 at 8:00 am ET," SpaceX announced in an update about the mission. The Axiom Space video also showcases Shukla's journey from being a child to becoming an astronaut and being chosen for the ambitious space mission . "This journey that I am has been a long one for me. It started out somewhere I didn't know that this is the path it is going to finally take," Shukla said. "I would say that I am extremely fortunate and extremely lucky to have got opportunities to first fly all my life, which is a dream job for me, and then to have the opportunity to apply for the astronaut corps, and now be here," he said. Shukla said that, like his idol Rakesh Sharma, he would also like to inspire the next generation to take up space science as a career and strive to become an astronaut. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
