Ashoka Chakra awardee, Indian Air Force Group Captain and ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who became the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS) on Axiom Mission 4 in 2025 and the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma, delivered the 6th Dr Rajaram Jaipuria Memorial Lecture on August 29 at Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Ghaziabad.
Speaking to an audience of students, educators, parents and alumni, Shukla shared his experiences aboard the ISS, offering insights into the challenges of spaceflight, the science conducted in orbit and the possibilities opening up for young Indians as the country expands its space programme.
With India planning a series of ambitious missions, including the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, the development of its own space station and a crewed mission to the Moon by 2040, Shukla said the country would need a large pool of young talent to sustain its space ambitions over the next three decades. He estimated that India could need around 30–40 astronauts to sustain the programme, besides professionals from a wide range of scientific and technical disciplines.
Shukla spent 20 days and three hours aboard the ISS from June 25 to July 15, 2025, as part of Axiom Mission 4. During the lecture, he screened video clips from the mission and used them to explain the physical and psychological challenges of living in space, the experiments he conducted and the differences between life in microgravity and on Earth. He has also chronicled his experience in his book, The Odyssey of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla.
‘The brain and body have to catch up’
Describing his first experience of entering space, Shukla said one of the biggest challenges for a new astronaut is the conflict between the brain and the body.
“The first thing that happens to me and almost all fresh astronauts is the conflict of brain and body. It is disorienting. While the body reaches space, the mind still thinks the Earth way,” he said.
In the microgravity environment aboard the ISS, he explained, familiar concepts such as weight and movement change dramatically. At the same time, weightlessness allows astronauts to perform movements and manoeuvres that would be impossible on Earth and to handle objects that would otherwise be extremely heavy.
Shukla also spoke about the experiments conducted during his mission and the need to improvise when working in an environment where conventional methods often do not work.
Among the key lessons he drew from his mission were the importance of collaboration, teamwork and problem-solving. Space, he said, is full of “unknown unknowns”, making quick thinking and the ability to explore different possibilities essential.
He cited an example from his own mission, when he used his body to generate centrifugal motion for his samples. Returning to Earth, meanwhile, brought a different set of challenges, as he had to relearn basic movements such as walking, lifting and holding objects.
And while space offered extraordinary experiences, he admitted that he missed salt the most. His first meal after returning to Earth was consequently something salty.
Discipline, preparation and perseverance
Shukla underlined that extraordinary achievements are built on years of preparation and discipline. He identified three essential areas of fitness for astronauts: physical, medical and psychological fitness.
Encouraging students to prepare themselves for demanding careers, he advised them to play sports, avoid excessive junk food and remain mindful rather than becoming overly obsessed with an uncertain future.
Hard work and training, he said, can often appear mundane but remain an integral part of achieving one’s ambitions.
He cited the example of Peggy Whitson, the former NASA astronaut who has spent more than 600 days in space and was selected after facing repeated rejection, as an illustration of the perseverance required to achieve seemingly impossible goals.
Shukla also said ISRO had briefed the Ministry of Education on developing modules on space science and expressed hope that space science would soon find a place in school textbooks. Such exposure, he said, could help students recognise space science and exploration as viable career options.
He stressed that the space sector would generate opportunities across disciplines as India’s space programme expands. While space research remains relatively young, he said, its rapid growth over the coming decades would create opportunities not only for astronauts and scientists but for professionals from a broad cross-section of fields.
‘You should want to change the world’
Sharing his own journey from aspiring pilot to astronaut, Shukla took the audience through the years of training and preparation that culminated in the Axiom 4 mission.
Addressing students directly, he said: “When you get to college, graduate and enter the world of work, the new thought should be to change India. You should want to change the world. You must feel the responsibility to help India become a developed nation by 2047. This thought has to be cultivated, nurtured and acted upon.”
The lecture was followed by a fireside chat with three students of Seth Anandram Jaipuria School. Their questions ranged from Shukla’s childhood dreams and his journey towards becoming an astronaut to the challenges of astronaut training and everyday life aboard the ISS.
During the event, Shukla also released the Space Explorer books for Grades 6 to 8, developed by the academic team of Seth Anandram Jaipuria School. The books will form part of the school’s curriculum and its Jaipuria Space and Astronomy Programme, giving students structured opportunities to learn about space, astronomy and India’s growing capabilities in space exploration.
‘The Indian Century – Youth, Innovation and Nation Building’
The lecture, themed “The Indian Century – Youth, Innovation and Nation Building”, brought together students, educators, parents, alumni and members of the Jaipuria family for an evening focused on aspiration, innovation and the role of young Indians in shaping the country’s future.
The Dr Rajaram Jaipuria Memorial Lecture was instituted in 2019 in memory of Dr Rajaram Jaipuria (1934–2015), a distinguished industrialist, educationist and nation-builder whose vision and commitment to education continue to guide the Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions.
The event was attended by Jaipuria leadership, including Chairman Shishir Jaipuria, Vice-Chairperson Sunita Jaipuria, Director Saket Jaipuria, Anika Jaipuria and Yash Jaipuria, along with students, educators, parents, alumni and invited guests.
In his welcome address, Shishir Jaipuria said, “I am of the firm view that the 21st century will be India’s century. We have a young population that represents not merely a demographic advantage, but an enormous reservoir of human potential.”
He pointed to India’s growing strengths in IT, finance, healthcare, digital services and manufacturing, supported by policy, infrastructure, technology and global supply-chain opportunities. India, he said, now possesses “a rare combination of scale, talent and ambition”.
Jaipuria also emphasised the importance of combining vision with values and virtues. “You need role models and great men often lead the common people, they have deepest spiritual impact and inspire millions,” he added.
The programme began with a tour of an art exhibition and rocket-model installations, followed by a visit to the school’s Atal Tinkering Lab, where students showcased their innovations and projects to Shukla.
The programme concluded with a Vote of Thanks by Yash Jaipuria.
