New Delhi: More than even going to space, the biggest thing for Shubhanshu Shukla was the love and affection he received from Indians when he returned home. At the launch of his book, The Second Orbit, Shukla spoke about his experience as the first Indian astronaut to go to the International Space Station aboard the Axiom-4 Mission in 2025.
“In my 20-day mission, I travelled a total of 1.4 crore kms. I like to think that I travelled 100 m in space for every Indian,” he said to the crowded auditorium in the Prime Minister’s Museum and Library (PMML), New Delhi on Thursday, 25 June to thunderous applause.
The Second Orbit, published by Penguin Random House, is Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s memoir about travelling aboard the Axiom-4 Mission with three other international crew members, and becoming the first Indian after Rakesh Sharma in 1984 to go to space.
The book was released on 25 June at the PMML. The launch was attended by Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar, and Member Finance in the Department of Space, Seema Jain. Children from Delhi schools were also present for the launch.
In his speech, Shukla recalled how it was exactly a year ago, on 25 June 2025, that he and his crewmates lifted off aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, for a 20-day stint at the ISS. This was India’s first presence on the ISS, and Shukla, in addition to piloting the mission, also conducted several scientific experiments.
“This young boy from Lucknow, who once dreamt of flying, has shown us that anything is possible if you work hard, train hard for it. That is the best takeaway from the day,” said Sanjay Kumar while launching the book.
Apart from the usual speeches, there was also a special video address by Rakesh Sharma, who congratulated Shukla on his book.
“I know they say don’t judge a book by its cover, but wow, what a cover!,” said Sharma, holding up the picture of Shukla against the window of the Grace capsule, with the Earth’s outline behind him.
Sharma added that the book meticulously captures Shukla’s lessons and experiences and will be an interesting asset as the space domain opens up and deep-space exploration expands.
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Shukla’s interactions with students
During Shubhanshu Shukla’s 32-day quarantine period ahead of the Axiom-4 Mission, he said that he wondered what his journey means—beyond its technical objectives.
“I wanted to inspire future generations. When I was on the ISS, I spoke to some school children on a call, and one of them asked me – How can a boy from a village in the Northeast go to space? That was when I knew that I had made the thought possible in someone’s head,” Shukla shared.
Shukla, who is an astronaut designate for India’s Gaganyaan Mission to send four Indians to space for the first time by ISRO, spoke about the country’s space plans and encouraged the children in the audience to pursue their dreams. He also answered the children’s questions about his time in space, his challenging experiences, and his accidents with zero gravity after coming back to Earth.
He ended his speech by saying that the future belongs to the children in the room.
“The sky is never the limit—for me, for you, or for Bharat!”
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)