What Happens When An Astronaut Comes Home? Shubhanshu Shukla Shares His Gravity Shock

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, from the Axiom-4 mission, shares candid insights on re-adjusting to Earth's gravity after 20 days on the ISS.

Shubhanshu Shukla Shares His Gravity Shock (PHOTO: IANS)

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, a part of the historic Axiom-4 mission, is giving insightful comments about his re-accustomization to Earth's gravity following a 20-day stay on the International Space Station (ISS). At a virtual press conference on Friday, Shukla explained how even ordinary objects suddenly felt impressively heavy, narrating a hilarious experience when he dropped a laptop anticipating it to float.

Shukla and his Axiom-4 crew members, who took off from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 25 and landed on Earth on July 15, interacted with the media online, reminiscing about their experience on the mission. This was a historic event for India, as Shukla became the second Indian to travel to space, after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma's trailblazing journey in 1984.

VIDEO | "I remember the homework our PM had given me and I have completed it very well," says Indian Astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the mission pilot for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4).

(Source - Third party)

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/A4OmR09Cul

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 1, 2025

"Back in space after 41 years, a Bharatiya, but not a single jump this time. It was the launch of India's second orbit. And this time, we are prepared, not to fly, but to lead," declared Shukla, underlining the re-entry of India in space exploration.

For Lucknow native Shukla, a highlight was his meeting with the "Prime Minister of Bharat" on June 28, with the Indian flag visibly drifting behind him. He termed this as a watershed moment marking India's re-entry into international space chatter as an equal contributor.

The astronaut spoke openly about having to re-adjust to the gravitational pull of the Earth. He remembered his mobile phone feeling "heavy" when a colleague asked for a photo, a sharp contrast to its weightlessness in space. In a second funny story, he remembered dropping his laptop near the bed, expecting it to float. "Fortunately, the floor was carpeted, so no harm was done," he laughed.

As for the Axiom-4 mission itself, Shukla explained that it "surpassed his expectations" and offered priceless learning experiences that will be invaluable to India's future Gaganyaan mission. He considered his mission to be more than simply that of a spacefarer, envisioning himself as a "messenger demonstrating what's achievable."

Shukla, who is expected to return to India in mid-August, said that he religiously did all "homework" that Prime Minister Modi gave him while he was on the space station, including keeping a careful record of all details of the mission. He was keen to offer his recorded insights, sure that this information "is going to prove extremely useful and crucial for our own Gaganyaan mission."

Emphasising the wider mission of these space missions, Shukla pointed to their principal aim: to encourage the next generation and inculcate them with the confidence that they too can be explorers. He pointed to the mission's initial success in this respect, with children already asking for ways to become astronauts.