Shubhanshu Shukla recently shared a video he captured from the International Space Station (ISS). The video is a timelapse of India, showing the country from space as the ISS traveled from south to north, following the east coast. The footage showcases the Himalayas and lightning from thunderstorms across the country.
However, Shukla missed a complete view of India because it was mostly cloudy during the monsoon season. Sharing the video, he wrote that he wants viewers to feel as though they are sitting in the cupola, a window on the ISS. He also recommended watching the video in landscape mode with high screen brightness.
Watch the video here:
Axiom-4 mission
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a 39-year-old Indian Air Force officer and test pilot, recently completed his first space voyage as part of the Axiom-4 mission. This was a commercial spaceflight operated by Axiom Space and supported by ISRO and NASA.
The journey marked a significant milestone for India: Shukla became the first Indian to board the International Space Station and only the second Indian to go into space, following Rakesh Sharma's iconic flight in 1984.
Born on October 10, 1985—just one year after Sharma's mission—Shukla grew up in Lucknow in a middle-class family with no direct ties to aviation or space. However, a childhood visit to an airshow ignited his passion.
After several postponements, Shukla finally launched from the Kennedy Space Center on June 25, aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket. Ten minutes into the mission, the Dragon capsule entered orbit, prompting Shukla to say in Hindi, "Kamaal ki ride thi" (It was a great ride), and express his sense of national pride.
Shukla returned to Earth after an 18-day stay aboard the International Space Station. The Dragon spacecraft carrying the Axiom-4 crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the San Diego coast on July 15, marking the successful completion of the mission.
