'Takes Skill To Be Still': Shubhanshu Shukla Shares Throwback Video Of Him Floating In Space

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Shukla took to Instagram to share a video of his days at the space station, where he was seen trying to stay absolutely still in microgravity.
Days after returning from a historic mission on the International Space Station, Indian Air Force pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla shared a video of his days at the space station, where he was seen trying to stay absolutely still in microgravity.
Shukla, who was among the four crew members who flew aboard SpaceX Dragon on June 25, shared a video on Instagram of their first few days of the Axiom-4 mission, where he described the challenge of remaining immobile in space.
'From the time we reached ISS we were quite busy in chasing the timeline and completing our tasks and experiments. It is a bit challenging initially as you are learning to move in microgravity and also getting to know the station," he said in the caption.
Shukla said the video was from a few days into the mission, when he had managed better control over his movements in space, while sitting in a cross-legged position. 'What I wanted to do was to be just still but clearly failed. Any small disturbance can move your body in space and it takes skill to be completely still," he said.
'Kind of like our minds in this fast moving world. Take some time to be still today. It is important to sometimes slow down to be fast. Apparently being still is a challenge with or without gravity," he added.
Shukla returned safely to Earth as SpaceX's Dragon capsule, Grace, on July 15, after it made the splashdown into the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Diego in Southern California. ISRO confirmed that the initial health assessments indicated that Shukla was in stable condition and reported no immediate health concerns.
He was flown to Houston, where he also met his family members, including his wife and child. He also met fellow Gaganyaan astronaut-designate Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, who trained alongside Shukla for the Axiom Mission-4 and remained on standby, and other ISRO team members.
The space agency confirmed that Shukla has begun a week-long rehabilitation programme under the supervision of Axiom Space's flight surgeon and ISRO's flight surgeon to mitigate any adverse effects of microgravity. This includes a series of medical checks, especially cardiovascular assessments, musculoskeletal tests, and psychological debriefs.
Launched on June 25, the mission marked the first time an Indian entered the International Space Station and performed experiments in microgravity. Shukla also brought along with him the results of the seven experiments, which were developed by Indian research institutions under the Human Space Flight Centre's coordination.
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