"It has been a wonderful ride": Shubhanshu Shukla describes awe of seeing earth from space

Florida [US], July 8 (ANI): Group Captain Shubhanhu Shukla, the firt Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS), hared hi reflection from orbit, aying, It i a privilege to be amongt the few who have got the chance to ee the Earth from a vantage point that I have been able to ee now. It ha been a wonderful ride.
Hi remark came a Axiom Space highlighted the ignificance of it Ax-4 miion.
Hear from the #Ax4 atronaut about the ignificance of the miion and how we are expanding acce to LEO for countrie to purue their pace exploration goal, leading to advancement #ForEarth. We are building era-defining pace infratructure that drive exploration and fuel a vibrant pace economy for the benefit of every human everywhere, Axiom Space aid in a pot on X.
http://x.com/Axiom_Space/tatu/1942238577825300837
Undercoring global collaboration, Axiom tagged key partner, including the Indian Space Reearch Organiation (ISRO), the European Space Agency (ESA), Poland pace agency POLSA, and the Polih Minitry of Development and Technology, calling the Ax-4 miion a tep forward for humanity.
Earlier, continuing hi outreach from pace, Group Captain Shukla interacted with tudent at the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Karnataka on July 4 via ham radio, offering a glimpe into life aboard the ISS and emphaiing the role of international cooperation in enabling uch miion.
Speaking from orbit, the atronaut hared hi experience of living and working in pace, offering inight into the phyical challenge, the awe of oberving Earth from above, and the camaraderie with crew member from the US, Poland, and Hungary.
International collaboration i key for the ucce of miion like the ISS and pace. Even for our miion Axiom 4, agencie like ISRO, NASA, SpaceX, Axiom... everyone i coming together to make thi miion happen, he aid, emphaiing the power of global partnerhip.
He alo recounted moment of cultural exchange aboard the ISS, haring traditional Indian delicacie with fellow atronaut. I wa able to bring three different type of food... That wa aam ra, gajar ka halwa, and moong daal ka halwa. I mut tell you everybody here loved it, he aid, adding that the crew appreciated the unique flavour.
Decribing the atmophere onboard, Shukla remarked, Working with people from many different countrie and nationalitie, the entire experience i very, very exciting. However, he noted the phyical toll and difficulty in reting, aying, The mot difficult tak i to go to leep becaue of the excitement all around... But you need to take ret.
Reflecting on hi view from pace, Shukla aid, The mot exciting part of being in pace i looking back at Earth from uch an advantageou point. It make you realie how fortunate you are to be on thi planet.
The atronaut, who i the econd Indian to travel to pace after Rakeh Sharma, launched on June 25 from NASA Kennedy Space Center aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. A Miion Pilot of Axiom Miion 4, he helped pilot the Dragon pacecraft, which docked autonomouly with the ISS on June 26 at 4:05 pm (IST).
Shukla and the Ax-4 crew were received by the even-member Expedition 73 team on the ISS and began their miion with a afety briefing.
The Ax-4 crew comprie former NASA atronaut Peggy Whiton, ISRO Group Captain Shubhanhu Shukla, ESA atronaut Slawoz Uznanki-Winiewki of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The crew i expected to tay aboard the ISS for up to 14 day. (ANI)