Learning like a baby: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla shares first moments from space

New Delhi: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, currently aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft Grace, described his first moments in microgravity as both humbling and exhilarating, likening the experience to "learning like a baby," reported PTI.

Speaking via videolink from space on Thursday, Shukla shared his emotions and experiences as the Axiom-4 mission continues its journey to dock at the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft, carrying Shukla and three fellow astronauts, lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Wednesday for a 14-day stay aboard the ISS.

“Wow, what a ride it was,” said Shukla. “When I was sitting in the capsule, Grace, after 30 days of quarantine, the only thought in my mind was — let us just go.”

Describing the moment of launch, he recalled the sensation of being pushed back into his seat, followed by an abrupt silence and a feeling of weightlessness. “Suddenly, everything was silent and you were just floating. You were unbuckled and floating in the vacuum — it was an amazing feeling.”

The astronauts’ Dragon capsule has been affectionately named Grace, and they also introduced a toy swan named ‘Joy’, which serves as their zero-gravity indicator and the unofficial fifth member of the mission.

Shukla said that the initial moments in space were disorienting, but he has since started adjusting well. “I am getting used to it quite well. I’m enjoying the views, learning how to walk, how to eat — like a baby. It’s so exciting.”

He noted that his fellow astronauts teased him for sleeping a lot since the launch. “It’s a new environment, a new challenge. It’s good to make mistakes, but better to see others make them too,” he laughed.

The Axiom-4 crew is expected to dock with the ISS by 4.30 pm on Thursday, marking another milestone for commercial space missions and international collaboration.