When Indian Air Force officer Shubhanshu Shukla blasts off into space with the upcoming Axiom-4 mission, he’ll be taking a taste of India with him. Shukla, 39, is set to become the first Indian in over four decades to travel to space, and he’s taking along some familiar comforts: traditional Indian sweets like aamras and moong dal halwa, specially prepared by ISRO for the journey.
These meals, designed by ISRO and DRDO, were originally created for India’s Gaganyaan mission but are now being used for international space travel. Carefully vacuum-packed and freeze-dried to withstand the conditions of space, the food is designed to stay fresh, safe, and easy to consume in microgravity.
According to Hindustan Times, it wasn’t easy getting Indian food approved for the mission. “Since Indian food is high on spices, he wasn’t getting the permission to carry them. But finally, they did allow a few varieties,” Suchi Shukla, Shubhanshu’s sister, a science teacher based in Lucknow. “He is carrying moong dal halwa, gajar ka halwa, aamras and rice. He is excited to share the delicacies with the other astronauts too. He is a fitness freak and highly into yoga, so I am sure he will balance it.”
Who is Shubhanshu Shukla?
Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Shubhanshu Shukla – known by his call sign ‘Shuks’ – has spent his life preparing for moments like this. A seasoned fighter pilot with more than 2,000 hours flying aircraft like the Su-30 MKI and MiG-29, Shukla was chosen in 2019 to be part of India’s first astronaut corps for the much-anticipated Gaganyaan mission, scheduled for 2027.
He studied at City MontessoISROri School in Lucknow before joining the National Defence Academy. He later earned his M Tech in Aerospace Engineering from IISc Bengaluru, and completed rigorous astronaut training at Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre and ISRO’s facility in Bengaluru.
His father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, a retired government employee, said the family is holding a “Satyanarayan Swami katha and a hawan” (a Hindu religious ritual) for his safe journey.
Shukla is all set to become only the second Indian to pilot a space mission, following in the footsteps of Rakesh Sharma’s historic 1984 voyage.
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Axiom-4 Mission delayed:
The journey to space has hit a few unexpected snags. The Axiom-4 mission was initially slated for lift-off from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 10. However, unfavourable weather conditions forced a 24-hour delay, pushing the launch to Wednesday, June 11.
Now, there’s been another hold-up due to a technical fault. A leak of liquid oxygen (LOx), a critical cryogenic fuel, was discovered during routine inspections of the Falcon 9 rocket after its static fire test.
As of now, no new launch window has been confirmed. The countdown continues, with the mission team working to resolve the issue before announcing when the spacecraft will finally head for the stars.
