Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is in the final prep phase for his first space mission aboard the International Space Station. The Ax-4 crew recently completed a full dress rehearsal. While in orbit, they’ll carry out over 60 experiments spanning human research, Earth observation, and material sciences.
00:00And India is poised to make a historic return to space after a gap of 41 years.
00:06Israel's Shubhanshu Shukla is all set to pilot the Axiom 4 mission to the International Space Station.
00:13That's tomorrow.
00:14Back in his hometown, Shukla's family is praying for a successful mission
00:17as it will make him the second Indian astronaut to fly into space
00:21since Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma's 1984 mission, 41 years ago.
00:27He will also become the first Indian to visit the International Space Station.
00:31During launch and docking, he will assist with spacecraft operations.
00:35Shukla, along with three other astronauts, will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida
00:40and are expected to dock with the ISS in approximately 28 hours.
00:46Together, the crew will conduct more than 60 scientific experiments over 14 days.
00:50This mission is a joint venture between Axiom Space, NASA, ISTRO and the European Space Station stays.
00:57Shukla, along with the International Space Station
01:27From the Indian Space Research Organization,
01:54AX4 pilot, Shubanshu Shukla.
02:01A fighter pilot for 15 years,
02:03he was selected as one of four Indian astronauts in 2020.
02:07Captain Shukla, are you ready for the ride?
02:10Will you do some yoga in space like your idol Rakesh Sharma did in 1984?
02:18The first Indian astronaut, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma,
02:21traveled to space in 1984.
02:23I grew up reading about him in textbooks and listening to his stories from space.
02:28I was deeply, deeply impressed by him.
02:32This journey that I'm on, it has been a long one for me.
02:36And it started out somewhere, I didn't know that this is the path it is going to finally take.
02:42I would say that I have been extremely fortunate and extremely lucky to have gotten the opportunities to first fly all my life, which was a dream job for me.
02:51And then have the opportunity to apply to Snot Core.
02:56And now, consequently, be here.
02:59The way this worked out for me was that probably a week before we arrived at Axiom was the time I came to know that I will be going.
03:10I was extremely excited to be here. I was very, very happy because this was a possibility for me to actually fly to space.
03:19You don't know how to respond to such things.
03:23It shook his wisdom. The knowledge that he possesses, he could be 130 years old.
03:29For me, having him as my pilot in the Dragon capsule is great.
03:33He already has that operational savvy and, you know, he's just wicked smart when it comes to spacecraft technologies.
03:40He is very focused and he will basically go one, two, three, four in a record time.
03:46I don't even know how he gets there so fast.
03:49The team that I'm flying with on this mission, it is fantastic.
03:53I do feel that, you know, I have exceptional crewmates.
03:56I will have these crew members for this one flight, but post this mission, these are going to be my friends for life.
04:03It has been an amazing journey. These are moments that really tell you that you are getting to be a part of something that is much larger than yourself.
04:11I can only say how extremely fortunate I am to be a part of this.
04:15It is my sincere endeavor through my mission to inspire an entire generation back home in the country.
04:21I want to use this opportunity to ignite curiosity among kids.
04:25Even if this story, my story, is able to change one life, it would be a huge success for me.
04:30I am Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla and I am the mission pilot for Axie-4 mission.
