Watch: Shubhanshu Shukla Learns To Walk Again After Spending 18 Days In Space

NDTV

2 days ago

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who returned from a successful space mission last week, is relearning to walk on Earth again. Mr Shukla was among the four crew members who flew aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on June 25 as part of the Axiom-4 mission. He returned safely to Earth on July 15 after spending approximately 18 days aboard the ISS. On Tuesday, Mr Shukla shared a video on Instagram of himself trying to walk again and getting used to gravity. In the clip, he is seen being helped by two other people as he puts each step in front of the last one.
"I have received a lot of messages regarding my health and wishing me speedy recovery. I want to thank you all and also give an update. Experiencing microgravity, our body goes through several changes like fluid shift, heart rate, balance readjustment, muscle loss. These are adaptations to the new environment. Once the body gets used to this and we return to gravity, these adjustments happen once again. Though it varies for all astronauts, the body soon starts adapting to its new environment. I was surprised to observe the pace with which our body can adjust to new settings," Mr Shukla wrote in the caption of the post.
"In the pursuit of the unknown(space), you get to know more about yourself," he added.
Take a look at the video below:
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Shubhanshu Shukla (@gagan.shux)
Mr Shukla and the three other mission astronauts will remain in quarantine until July 23 to complete medical and re-adaptation procedures, according to an official statement quoting Union Minister Jitendra Singh.
In an interview with PTI, Mr Singh said Mr Shukla's three-week stay at the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission has given India valuable insights and experience in handling space missions as it prepares for its own Gaganyaan project. It gave a tremendous amount of experience, expertise for India's future voyages and also put the country in a better position for large international collaborations, the Union Minister continued.
"But most of all, it also sends out a huge, huge message across the globe. Now, India has come of age as far as the space sector is concerned," he said.
Shubhanshu Shukla and three other crewmates splashed down off the coast of California on July 15.
During their time aboard the ISS, Mr Shukla and the Ax-4 crew were involved in over 60 scientific experiments and outreach initiatives. Mr Shukla is only the second Indian to visit space. Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma was the first to do so in 1984.