PM Modi Interacts With Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the Indian astronaut Shubanshu Shukla, who, as part of the commercial Axion-4 mission, is aboard the International Space Station, which is orbiting the earth at an altitude of 400 km.

The 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' slogan reverberated on the ISS as Mr Modi told the Indian Air Force’s Group Captain that his space travel marked the beginning of a new era and was the first step towards Mission Gaganyaan, India's own human spaceflight project.

"Shubhanshu, today you are the farthest from the land of India but the closest to the hearts of every Indian," the Prime Minister told Group Captain Shukla in an interaction through a video link from the ISS. He said your name carries the word "shubh" (auspicious) and that his journey marked the auspicious beginning of a new era. Towards the end of the 18-minute conversation, Mr Modi raised the slogan "Bharat Mata ki jai" which was reciprocated by Group Captain Shukla.

During the conversation, Group Captain Shukla told the Prime Minister that his travel to the space station was not just his personal feat but a collective achievement of the entire nation. "Not my journey alone but also our country's," he said, adding that he was absorbing these "new experiences like a sponge".

"Everything is different here," the astronaut said, sharing his experience in microgravity conditions on the space station.

"We trained for a year and I learnt about different systems... But after coming here, everything changed... Here, even small things are different because there is no gravity in space... Sleeping here is a big challenge... It takes some time to get used to this environment," Group Captain Shukla told the Prime Minister.

The astronaut said that the space station orbits the Earth 16 times a day and that he was privileged to witness 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets every day.

"Right now, we are travelling at a speed of 28,000 km per hour. This speed reflects how fast our nation is progressing and now we must go even beyond this," Group Captain Shukla said.

The Indian astronaut reached the International Space Station on Thursday along with three other astronauts as part of the commercial Axiom-4 mission for a 14-day stay, during which the crew will be part of a series of science experiments.

"When I saw India for the first time from space, it appeared much larger and grander than on the map," Group Captain Shukla said in the interaction with the Prime Minister.

"You can truly feel the sense of oneness -- there are no borders, no lines. It feels as if this entire Earth is our home and we are all its citizens," Group Captain Shukla said.

Mr Modi told the Lucknow-born astronaut that his historic journey was not just limited to space but would add fresh momentum to the march towards Viksit Bharat (developed India).

"We have to take Mission Gaganyaan forward. We must build our own space station. And we must ensure that an Indian astronaut lands on the Moon.

"Your experiences will play a crucial role in all these future missions. I am confident that you are diligently recording every bit of your experience," the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister told Group Captain Shukla that his space sojourn would become a source of great inspiration to the youth of the country.

"I am confident that this will become a source of great inspiration. It has been a true pleasure speaking with you today," Mr Modi said.

Group Captain Shukla told the Prime Minister that he had brought with him gajar ka halwa, moong dal halwa and aam ras, which were relished by fellow astronauts on the space station. The International Space Station now has 11 astronauts from six countries.