Shubhanshu Shukla Shares Mantra Of Action Before Publicity
Focus on action before sharing achievements publicly.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), has shared personal reflections from his space journey and life story ahead of the launch of his new book The Second Orbit, released on June 25, exactly one year after the Axiom-4 mission lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in the United States. The book chronicles his experiences from selection and training to life aboard the ISS.
Shukla revealed that he initially applied for astronaut selection without informing his wife and even appeared for the National Defence Academy (NDA) entrance exam without telling his parents. He recalled his father’s understated farewell when he left for Dehradun to join the NDA, saying the words were simply, “If you want to, go.” He described his approach to life as one where it is “easier to go and do it first and then tell everybody else about it.”
In interviews surrounding the book’s release, Shukla said he maintained detailed journals throughout his journey, including written notes, audio logs, and other records based on advice from earlier astronauts. These materials later became a key foundation for his book, which he aimed to keep deeply human and relatable rather than purely technical, blending mission details with personal experiences and emotional moments.
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He also shared lighter and unusual memories from his time in space, including an incident aboard the Crew Dragon capsule where he attempted to sleep inside a storage bag due to low cabin temperatures. In microgravity, he drifted and became wedged inside, leading his crew to momentarily lose sight of him in the confined nine-cubic-metre space before pulling him out. He described it humorously as “losing an astronaut in a capsule.”
Reflecting on his journey, Shukla wrote a letter to his younger self in the book, touching on insecurities from childhood and encouraging acceptance and self-confidence. He also spoke about the “overview effect,” the cognitive shift astronauts experience when viewing Earth from space, describing the planet as a single shared home without borders or divisions. Looking ahead, Shukla expressed optimism about India’s future in human spaceflight, noting that missions such as the Gaganyaan programme and future space initiatives would ensure that Indian astronauts continue to travel to space much sooner than previously expected.
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