Swollen faces, slowed heartbeats and aching spines may not figure in the romantic imagination of space, yet for Indian astronaut Subhanshu Shukla these were everyday realities aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Speaking at an event organised by FICCI CLO in New Delhi, Shukla described space travel as “a gruelling test of human endurance” that reshaped the body, tested emotions, and demanded uncompromising teamwork.
“Now you might imagine that space missions are thrilling from the very beginning, which, to be honest, they are. But once you reach in microgravity, your body is in a microgravity environment. It rebels because it has never seen that environment, everything changes,” Shukla said.
According to him, the shift of fluids upwards caused puffiness in the face, while the heart slowed, the spine elongated, and constant backaches followed. “Inside (your body), your stomach is also floating and so are its contents, so you don’t feel hungry. All these changes happen the moment you reach space,” he added.
Shukla recalled struggling with nausea and headache just before a scheduled interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “You cannot even take medication because nausea drugs make you drowsy. So you feel bad and you still have to do the work,” he said, explaining how a crewmate quietly set up his camera and microphone. “That is teamwork, not in words but in action.”
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He illustrated how small gestures sustained life in orbit, from a fellow astronaut placing a fan near him during long glovebox experiments to a bottle of water being handed over when he was unable to move. “Collaboration is not optional, it is essential. You do not go to space alone, you ride on the shoulders of many,” he said.
The astronaut also spoke of the emotional weight of orbiting Earth. Gazing down on India, he said, was overwhelming. “Of all the places on Earth, India looks the most beautiful when seen from above. The coastlines and plains stand out…. It is truly saare jahan se acha,” he remarked.
For Shukla, space travel was not only about science but also representation. He narrated how children in Lucknow told him they only learned about the ISS because he had gone there. “They told me, ‘We cared because you were there’. That moment hit me like gravity itself. Your presence in boardrooms, labs, parliaments and even in space capsules is not just symbolic, it is catalytic,” he said.
He also shared the story of American astronaut Peggy Whitson, who was rejected nine times before being selected by NASA. “Even if the world says no nine times, the 10th yes can change history,” Shukla said.
Looking to the future, he underlined India’s Gaganyaan mission and its aspiration for a sustained lunar presence by 2040. “Make no mistake, this will take much more than rockets and spacecraft. It will take the energy of the entire nation,” he said.
Shukla concluded with a reminder that space exploration uplifts spirit as much as technology. “When we send a few to orbit, we lift millions back here on Earth. Sky was never the limit, not for me, not for you and not for Bharat,” he said.
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