Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla in Indian Air Force
State Bureau, Kolkata. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force, the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS), on Wednesday said India is now dreaming big and bold as it steps into the field of human space flight after a gap of 41 years.
Shukla was the first Indian to visit the International Space Station under the Axiom-4 mission. He returned to India from America on August 17, 2025 after an 18-day space stay.
Speaking to school students at an event organized at the Indian Center for Space Physics in Kolkata, he said that space is a great place to live, where there is deep peace and amazing views which become more beautiful with time.
Shukla said that the longer you stay there, the more enjoyment you get. In a light-hearted manner he said that to be honest, I did not feel like coming back from there. Shukla said that the experience gained in space was completely different from what he learned during training.
He said that the future of India's space science is very bright, because the country is now moving towards realizing big and bold dreams. He described his ISS mission, carried out in collaboration with the US, as an important step towards realizing India's vision of Gaganyaan.
'Experience gained from space missions is national asset'
Shukla said the experience gained from this mission is a national asset and is already being used by internal expert committees and design teams to guide future missions.
Shukla said the country's space ambitions include the Gaganyaan human space flight programme, India's own space station and human landing on the Moon. He told that the target of landing on the moon has been set by the year 2040, but work on this project is already going on and this area will develop very rapidly in the next 10 to 20 years. Gaganyaan is expected to be sent to space in 2027.
Youth's ability to achieve challenging goals
While interacting with the students, he said that although these goals are challenging, they are completely possible for youth like you, which you can achieve. He called upon the youth to take the responsibility of fulfilling the aspirations of India. He also said that the expansion of human space flight programs will create huge employment opportunities.
Reiterating the famous words of India's first astronaut Rakesh Sharma, Shukla said that even today our India looks better than anywhere else when seen from orbit. He said that this achievement is not only his, but that of the entire country.
India's youth are extremely talented
Shukla said that the youth of India is extremely talented. They have to stay focused on their goals, remain curious and work hard. It is their responsibility to make India a developed nation by 2047.
Emphasizing on the changes that have taken place since the time of Rakesh Sharma, he said that India is now developing a complete astronautical ecosystem. He said that through Gaganyaan and the upcoming missions, the children of India will now not only dream of becoming astronauts, but will also be able to fulfill it within their country.
When a person goes to space, millions of dreams take flight
Shukla said that when one person goes to space, millions of dreams take flight. Therefore, it is very important to continue such programs. Now the sky is no longer the limit.
He asked scientists to develop systems that are sustainable for 20-30 years and can adapt to future technologies. He also said that he is keen to participate in more missions and dreams of doing a space walk, for which he will have to undergo additional two years of training.
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