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Time of India
7 days ago
- Time of India
Why do astronauts take soft toys to space? Shubhanshu Shukla carries swan 'Joy'. A look at their companions from past missions
During a live broadcast from space, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla introduced 'Joy,' a soft swan toy floating beside him aboard the ISS. Serving as a Zero-G indicator, the swan also holds deep cultural symbolism. Shukla's gesture joins a long tradition of astronauts bringing symbolic or whimsical toys into orbit, blending science, education, and emotional connection. As soft toy swan 'Joy' floated towards astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla during alive stream from space, it joined the long legacy of Zero-G soft toy indicators. From Olaf, to Red from Angry Birds and Buzz Lightyear from Toys. (Images: X/ ISRO Spaceflight , NASA) Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A Long Legacy of Floating Companions Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads SpaceX Zero-G indicators, sparkly dinosaur called Tremor and penguin named GuinGuin. (Images: NASA) Not Just Toys, but Symbols When Indian astronaut c greeted the world from space with a namaste and a floating soft toy swan named Joy, it was far more than just a cute interlude. 'It looks really cute, but we have a very important swan in Indian culture,' said Shukla in his live broadcast from the International Space Station as part of the Axiom Mission 4 . 'The swan symbolises wisdom. It also has the ability to discern… what needs to be focused on and what does not,' he explained, making it clear that Joy was not merely an ornamental object but a deeply symbolic was officially serving as a Zero-G indicator , a now-iconic tradition aboard spaceflights to demonstrate when the spacecraft enters microgravity . These toys, typically suspended near the crew, begin to float as soon as zero gravity kicks in, offering a visual cue that the spacecraft has entered aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from NASA 's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, Shukla's mission is the fourth under private space company Axiom's banner. But while the mission represents a milestone for private spaceflight and international collaboration, it's the swan that has won hearts on Joy joins a legacy of adorable, meaningful, and sometimes pop-culture-driven soft toys that have soared into the cosmos with astronauts. According to the Copernicus Science Centre, this tradition goes back as far as Yuri Gagarin's pioneering flight. The first human in space brought along a small doll, beginning a whimsical yet meaningful ritual that continues 2012, the 'Angry Red Bird' plush from the mobile game Angry Birds was part of a mission to explain physics in space. Olaf from Frozen made it aboard the Soyuz TMA-15M in 2014, courtesy of cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov fulfilling a promise to his Lightyear, the Toy Story astronaut action figure, travelled aboard Space Shuttle Discovery and remained on the ISS for 15 months. And in recent years, SpaceX has taken the tradition mainstream with Zero-G indicators like a plush Baby Yoda, a penguin named GuinGuin, and a sparkly dinosaur called aren't just passengers for show. As NASA's 2004 'Toys in Space' initiative highlighted, these objects serve as engaging tools to demonstrate how motion, gravity, and physics work differently in microgravity. Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa even built a LEGO model of the ISS while aboard it, bringing childhood pastimes into orbit for educational and scientific choice of a swan connects these floating companions to cultural identity and heritage. While Olaf or Baby Yoda draw on global media icons, Joy represents something uniquely Indian—a cultural motif steeped in ancient philosophy and national symbolism.'We all have some symbolism—in Poland, in Hungary, in India,' Shukla said in his broadcast. 'It looks like a coincidence but it's not. It has more meaning.'As astronauts continue to push the boundaries of exploration, their Zero-G companions reflect both scientific curiosity and emotional grounding. In Joy, Shubhanshu Shukla has carried not just a symbol of gravity lost, but of wisdom held close.
Economic Times
7 days ago
- Economic Times
Why do astronauts take soft toys to space? Shubhanshu Shukla carries swan 'Joy'. A look at their companions from past missions
As soft toy swan 'Joy' floated towards astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla during alive stream from space, it joined the long legacy of Zero-G soft toy indicators. From Olaf, to Red from Angry Birds and Buzz Lightyear from Toys. (Images: X/ ISRO Spaceflight, NASA) When Indian astronaut c greeted the world from space with a namaste and a floating soft toy swan named Joy , it was far more than just a cute interlude. 'It looks really cute, but we have a very important swan in Indian culture,' said Shukla in his live broadcast from the International Space Station as part of the Axiom Mission 4. 'The swan symbolises wisdom. It also has the ability to discern… what needs to be focused on and what does not,' he explained, making it clear that Joy was not merely an ornamental object but a deeply symbolic choice. Joy was officially serving as a Zero-G indicator, a now-iconic tradition aboard spaceflights to demonstrate when the spacecraft enters microgravity. These toys, typically suspended near the crew, begin to float as soon as zero gravity kicks in, offering a visual cue that the spacecraft has entered orbit. Launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, Shukla's mission is the fourth under private space company Axiom's banner. But while the mission represents a milestone for private spaceflight and international collaboration, it's the swan that has won hearts on Earth. Shukla's Joy joins a legacy of adorable, meaningful, and sometimes pop-culture-driven soft toys that have soared into the cosmos with astronauts. According to the Copernicus Science Centre, this tradition goes back as far as Yuri Gagarin's pioneering flight. The first human in space brought along a small doll, beginning a whimsical yet meaningful ritual that continues today. In 2012, the 'Angry Red Bird' plush from the mobile game Angry Birds was part of a mission to explain physics in space. Olaf from Frozen made it aboard the Soyuz TMA-15M in 2014, courtesy of cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov fulfilling a promise to his daughter. Buzz Lightyear, the Toy Story astronaut action figure, travelled aboard Space Shuttle Discovery and remained on the ISS for 15 months. And in recent years, SpaceX has taken the tradition mainstream with Zero-G indicators like a plush Baby Yoda, a penguin named GuinGuin , and a sparkly dinosaur called Tremor . — airandspace (@airandspace) These aren't just passengers for show. As NASA's 2004 'Toys in Space' initiative highlighted, these objects serve as engaging tools to demonstrate how motion, gravity, and physics work differently in microgravity. Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa even built a LEGO model of the ISS while aboard it, bringing childhood pastimes into orbit for educational and scientific purposes. Shukla's choice of a swan connects these floating companions to cultural identity and heritage. While Olaf or Baby Yoda draw on global media icons, Joy represents something uniquely Indian—a cultural motif steeped in ancient philosophy and national symbolism. 'We all have some symbolism—in Poland, in Hungary, in India,' Shukla said in his broadcast. 'It looks like a coincidence but it's not. It has more meaning.' As astronauts continue to push the boundaries of exploration, their Zero-G companions reflect both scientific curiosity and emotional grounding. In Joy , Shubhanshu Shukla has carried not just a symbol of gravity lost, but of wisdom held close.
Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Indian Express
Apple iOS 26 Beta 2: From Liquid Glass refinements to new Live Radio widget, here's what's new
Apple has launched iOS 26 beta 2, the latest version of its operating system for iPhones. Announced at the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) just over a month ago, the latest iOS version introduces a redesigned translucent design language called 'Liquid Glass,' along with several other new features. Here's a quick look at iOS 26 beta 2. With the latest iOS beta, Apple has seemingly fixed one of the most annoying changes early adopters have been complaining about. Since WWDC 2025, several beta testers who have updated their device to iOS 26 have been complaining that the refreshed Liquid Glass made text in the Control Center hard to see and almost unreadable at times. Thankfully, Apple seems to have noticed the issue and adjusted the transparency for better legibility. Instead of a clear background, iOS 26 beta 2 now has a darker colour and more blur, which should help with readability issues. However, it looks like the user interface still needs some work when it comes to lighter backgrounds. In case you don't like the transparency, you can use the Reduce Transparency option under Accessibility in the Settings app to cut down on the translucent user interface. Coming to Safari, Apple seems to have repositioned the new tab button in the tab management view. Now, the '+' button to open a new tab can be found in the bottom left, like in iOS 18. The company is also adding a new Live Radio widget to its Music app, which can be helpful if you find yourself often tuning in to the service. The Apple App Store is also getting a new Accessibility section for product pages. However, developers will have to list the details and manually populate them. The Transcribe Calls option has now been renamed to 'Save Call Transcripts.' Also, Apple now says that participants will be informed with a sound before the process begins.
