Astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla delivered a profound message on how venturing beyond our planet fundamentally reshapes one's perception of self and home. Speaking at the Pune Literature Festival 2025 on Sunday, December 21, the Indian Air Force officer turned spacefarer shared transformative insights gained from his journey to the International Space Station (ISS).
From Fighter Pilot to Space Explorer: A Journey of Saying 'Yes'
Shukla's path to the stars was not a childhood dream, but a series of seized opportunities. Commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in June 2006, he built an impressive career as a combat leader and test pilot. His logbook includes iconic aircraft like the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
He revealed that the ambition to become an astronaut only crystallized later. "I never dreamt of becoming an astronaut because there was no programme," Shukla admitted. "But I knew one thing, that if someone else can do it, so can I. And because of that I kept saying yes to every opportunity." He recounted a pivotal moment while posted in Srinagar with the 51 Squadron, watching night flights, which spurred him to apply for the test pilot course and set him on his eventual trajectory to space.
The Orbital Perspective: Earth as a Unified Home
Addressing a hall packed with school and college students, including NCC cadets, Shukla eloquently described the evolution of identity through exposure. He mapped a relatable journey: from family and school, to city and country. "When I was in the US for a year, I was representing India," he noted.
He then described the ultimate expansion of this worldview. "And an extension of it when we leave our planet and go into space, our planet becomes our sense of identity and the entire earth becomes our home – not a particular country, region, place or a city," Shukla stated. "To look at the entire world as one entity and that we are in this together, is a very unique perspective that I carried back to the earth after my mission."
His spaceflight was part of an Axiom Space mission to the ISS, launched on a SpaceX Crew Dragon from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. This mission marked a significant milestone as India's return to human spaceflight, setting the stage for the nation's ambitious Gaganyaan programme.
Inspiring the Next Generation: Gaganyaan and Beyond
Shukla directly connected his experience to India's burgeoning space ambitions. He confirmed active work on the Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send an Indian into space and bring them back safely. Looking further ahead, he mentioned plans for the Bhartiya Antriksh Station (Indian Space Station) and the goal to land an Indian on the moon by 2040.
With a spirit of friendly challenge, he told the young audience, "Maybe someone sitting here, a boy or a girl, will be setting foot on the moon by 2040... when you want to go to the moon, you will have to compete with me. I will still be in the race."
He emphasized that becoming an astronaut is now a tangible career path in India. "So today, becoming an astronaut is no more a dream, it is now reality. There is a profession called astronaut in India now and it is open to all," Shukla declared, urging the youth to commit and work hard towards these endless possibilities.
