Interview/ Shubhanshu Shukla, astronaut and group captain, Indian Air Force
Q/ If not a fighter pilot, what would you have become?
A/ I don’t think like that, and I have no idea what I would have done. I love flying. After joining the Air Force, I enjoyed every moment in the cockpit. I’ve been extremely lucky to find two professions I’ve loved—flying fighters, which I enjoyed for years, and then getting the opportunity to fly to space for my country. I feel fortunate on both counts.
Q/ Space missions often include personal or cultural rituals for good luck. Tell us about the pre-flight rituals your Axiom-4 team had.
A/ For us on Axiom-4, there was a ritual handover from the Axiom team to the SpaceX team, because once you reach that point, the rocket and operations are entirely under SpaceX’s control. After the handover, you get into the Teslas that take you to the suit-up area. During that two-to-three-minute ride, you can see the rocket clearly in the distance.
You’re also allowed to play a song of your choice during the drive. The commander and pilot sit in one car, and the mission specialists in another. My commander [Peggy Whitson] played her song first, ‘Thunder’ by Imagine Dragons, and then I played mine—a high-energy track, ‘Vande Mataram’, from the movie Fighter that I really enjoy. It was meant to get your excitement and adrenaline up before you enter the rocket.
Q/ During lift-off, the G-force (a measure of acceleration) gradually build up and that pressure is felt mainly on the chest. What exactly are astronauts trained to do?
A/ That’s an interesting question because fighter pilots also experience G-load (effect of G-force on the body), but the direction of the force is completely different. In a fighter aircraft, you experience G from head to toe—the G-Z axis. Under those conditions, blood gets pulled down from your head. If that continues, you can black out, lose consciousness for a short time, and then regain it once the G-load reduces. The body’s tolerance to G-Z is limited because the spine is taking that load.
In spaceflight, if those same forces acted along the G-Z axis—head to toe—you could face up to 18–20Gs, which the spine cannot tolerate. That’s why space capsule seats are reclined. This alignment shifts the force to the chest-to-back direction—the G-X axis—and the body can tolerate G-X much better.
But G-X has its own challenge—your chest and lungs get compressed, and you can’t breathe normally. The breathing technique we use in fighter jets for G-Z—where you strain your muscles and forcefully inhale and exhale—doesn’t work here.
In spaceflight training for G-X, you’re taught to pull your stomach inward and forcefully exhale. You can’t expand your chest because it’s being compressed, so inhalation happens passively once you’ve exhaled. So, you have to completely change how you breathe.
Q/ Based on your experience, what are the key differences between Russian and US training philosophies in space science and exploration?
A/ I think the core objective is the same for both sides—launch humans safely into space, enable them to conduct science and maintenance work, and then bring them back safely. The goal is identical, but the methodology is different. Experiencing both was extremely insightful because it showed us that there is no single correct way to solve the problems of human spaceflight.
Q/ Any specific observations?
A/ That was actually my job, to observe. And one major difference becomes clear instantly—the spacecraft design philosophy. Soyuz is a spacecraft that has taken humans to space for decades, reliably and safely. Crew Dragon is a modern spacecraft doing the same job, also with high levels of safety, but using a different design approach.
It was extremely insightful to see how Soyuz has maintained reliability over such a long time, and how a modern system like Crew Dragon achieves safety using current technology. It shows how you can combine proven philosophies with today’s engineering tools to achieve the same safety standards in different ways.
Q/ Many astronauts describe “spiritual” moments—a kind of silence and peace—in microgravity. Was it like that for you? And what other moments from the journey felt impossible to replicate on earth?
A/ Before my mission, I had spoken to many astronauts, watched videos, listened to training material and heard people describe how space changes them. But my imagination of what it would be like was completely different from what I actually experienced.
I realised that it’s impossible to fully comprehend something so unfamiliar because we have no reference point for it. When someone describes space, you still imagine it through the lens of your own earthly experiences, and that simply doesn’t translate.
During the initial days, I didn’t feel anything “spiritual” because we weren’t feeling well physically due to the transition to microgravity, and we were also extremely busy. We had a packed schedule of scientific work and experiments.
But once we settled in and became more efficient, we finally had moments to sit by the window. And when you sit by the window and look back at earth, that experience is deeply spiritual. You forget everything. I try to meditate on earth, but it’s difficult to sit without thoughts. In space, I found that I could sit for hours looking at earth, and nothing came to mind—just complete peace. It is incredibly calming and satisfying.
Another profound moment is the sense of oneness you feel. When you look at earth from space, you don’t see borders or regions—you see your entire planet as your single home. That feeling was very strong for me. Astronauts often refer to this as the ‘overview effect’, a documented phenomenon. Everyone experiences it in their own way, but for me the highlight was realising that this entire planet is home, not just the place I come from.
The other realisation is the sheer scale of earth. It is massive—far bigger than we understand while living on it. And that brings a strong awareness of how small and insignificant you are in the larger scheme of things.
Q/ While you were doing experiments on the International Space Station, your own body was also part of the research. What tests did you undergo after returning to earth, and how will the findings support long-duration missions?
A/ It has been extremely insightful for us as a nation, especially for our scientific community, to conduct experiments in microgravity—something we never had the opportunity to do earlier. Enabling experiments in space is itself a huge process. Something very simple on earth becomes extremely complex in microgravity. Fluids float, tools behave differently and even using a syringe becomes challenging. One major takeaway was understanding how to adapt ground-based procedures to a microgravity environment.
I conducted seven experiments prepared by Indian researchers, all designed with future human space missions in mind. This included experiments looking at food security—how to pack maximum nutrition in minimal space, because both space and nutrition are premium in orbit. These solutions will help us in space and also address challenges on earth. Experiments on muscle atrophy can inform treatments for degenerative diseases here as well.
As for human research, yes, astronauts themselves are subjects of several studies. Policies don’t allow me to reveal which HRP (Human Research Program) experiments I was part of, but many tests are done to observe how the body responds to the stress of microgravity. There are numerous physiological changes and all of that is documented.
These datasets will be essential as India prepares for long-duration human spaceflight. We are at the beginning of a long journey as a nation, and understanding these changes is crucial for what comes next.
Q/ How hard was it to sleep in space?
A/ It’s fascinating because you’re essentially sleeping in mid-air. You get into a sleeping bag and strap yourself so you don’t float away during the night. The first day, I wanted to put something under my neck, like a pillow, because that’s what we’re used to. But in microgravity, your head floats; it never rests on the pillow because nothing is pulling it down. You can sleep on the floor, the wall, or the ceiling—it makes no difference. By the fourth or fifth day, your body adjusts, and you start feeling as though you’re sleeping on a very firm surface. After that, it becomes extremely comfortable.
Q/ Your mission commander Peggy Whitson once said, ‘Gravity sucks. Some people get motion sickness going up; I get it coming down.’ What was re-entry like for you?
A/ That’s exactly right. For Peggy, ascent is easy and descent is difficult. For me, it was the opposite. I didn’t feel very good going up—I had symptoms of space motion sickness—but coming back, I was perfectly fine. No discomfort at all.
It affects each body differently.
Q/ Many astronauts have headaches, puffiness and changes in vision in microgravity. How did your body handle the transition?
A/ Yes, my body also went through these changes. During my interaction with the prime minister (Narendra Modi), my face was almost twice its normal size because of the puffiness. Your heart slows down because it no longer needs to push blood against gravity. Fluids move towards your head, which causes the puffiness and a kind of mental ‘fog’. These are normal physiological changes when entering microgravity. How much they affect someone varies from person to person, but within three to four days, most astronauts return to normal functioning.
Q/ The mission showed how companies like Axiom and SpaceX can collaborate effectively with NASA. How can India build similar partnerships with global space startups? And how do we ensure space access doesn’t remain limited to a few powerful nations or wealthy companies?
A/ Collaboration is the inherent nature of spaceflight; there is no other way to do it. The moment you go to space, you become a representative of humanity, not just your nation.
India understands this well. As we move towards building our own space station and future missions, collaboration will be essential. The goal is to not just achieve technical milestones, but to uplift everyone, bring different players together, and build an ecosystem where participation is broad and meaningful. India will play a crucial role in shaping global norms on how space should be used. I’m glad to be part of this phase.
Q/ As a pilot, how did working with Crew Dragon influence your views on automation and AI in deep-space missions? What level of automation should India adopt for future spacecraft?
A/ Historically, automation has proven to be better for routine tasks and predictable operations. That’s why modern spacecraft automate as much as possible. But spaceflight has a unique challenge—you must design systems to handle situations you cannot predict on the ground. These are the unknown unknowns. You cannot automate for a problem you cannot define.
That’s why you need a healthy balance—strong automation for routine tasks, and meaningful manual control for unexpected situations. As we look at missions to the moon and Mars, where immediate help is unavailable, crews must be self-sufficient and capable of independent decision-making.
Q/ Do women have specific advantages on long-duration missions?
A/ There are scientifically established biological factors that can give women certain advantages in long-duration spaceflight. Those facts exist. But ultimately, every mission’s crew is selected based on the specific requirements of that mission.
Q/ How do you see India’s overall space research and training ecosystem evolving in the coming decades, especially compared with countries like the US, where strong private players are emerging?
A/ I think we are standing on the cusp of a major inflection point in India’s space journey. The entire ecosystem is going to transform rapidly. We already have strong scientific talent and many reputable research institutions, but now we need a more consolidated national effort—especially for the kind of missions we want to undertake in the future.
We are working towards building an ecosystem that enables people across the country to contribute meaningfully and to feel excited about it—to see their work actually fly to space. It’s our responsibility to create a robust infrastructure that promotes research, nurtures innovation and connects people to the right opportunities so they can contribute to ambitious goals like building a space station and landing on the moon by 2040. This is not optional; it’s essential.
Q/ Tell us about the souvenirs you collected from the ISS.
A/ I didn’t collect anything from the ISS itself, but astronauts are allowed to carry personal items and bring them back. ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) had invited proposals, and many ideas came in. We collaborated with the National Institute of Design, and the students created some wonderful souvenirs that represented India’s cultural diversity. These were small artefacts that I carried with me to space.
They symbolised India as a whole and also its many regions—a beautiful reflection of our unity in diversity. They travelled to space with me and have returned, and we will be displaying them and sharing their stories soon.