In space, the Earth becomes your home: IAF’s Shubhanshu Shukla

When Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla reached the International Space Station (ISS) in August 2025, he experienced a perspective few ever do. The first Indian to step aboard the ISS, Shukla, speaking in Goa, said that in space, your planet becomes your identity, and humanity takes precedence over nationality.

Addressing students from schools affiliated with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) during an interactive session in Panaji, he described the view from the ISS as “an office with the best view possible.” “You don’t look at a country or a continent; you just look at Earth and think, ‘This is where I live,’” he said.

Shukla recalled the iconic words of India’s first astronaut, Rakesh Sharma: “Saare Jahan Se Achha.” Seeing India from above, he said, was deeply emotional. “A NASA astronaut told me we would fly over India at night and set up cameras. The sight was breathtaking, and the emotions were overwhelming,” he added from Panaji.

Life in space, Shukla noted, is full of surprises. Sleeping is unlike anywhere on Earth. “There’s no bed. You tie yourself in a sleeping bag, or you drift away. You can sleep on the wall, ceiling, or floor, wherever you like,” he explained.

Reflecting on the larger perspective space offers, Shukla said, “From above, you realize how small and fragile we are. Nationality fades, what remains is humanity.” His journey, part of the Axiom-4 mission supported by ISRO and NASA, marks a milestone in India’s space exploration.

Dr. Joseph Emmanuel, Chief Executive and Secretary of CISCE in Panaji, said, “This interaction with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will remain a defining experience for our students.”Shukla’s journey underscores not only the triumph of Indian space exploration but also the profound lesson that space teaches: that borders and divisions are human constructs, while the Earth,in all its beauty and fragility, is a shared home for all humanity.