In a wide-ranging discussion about India's first human spaceflight ambitions, Gaganyaan astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla opened up about the role of ISRO's humanoid robot, Vyomitra, which is being prepared for &nbsp;India's first crewed space missions. During the conversation, Shukla explained how far technology has advanced since the 1960s and drew comparisons to the early Soviet space program, where animals were sent to space ahead of humans. Shukla pointed out that the processing power in a modern mobile phone has become far better and more efficient as compared to the Apollo missions' computers, which carried astronauts to the Moon and back. He said the technology that we possess today was not available then. Speaking about the Soviet space program, where animals were sent to space ahead of humans, Shukla said that at the moment, ISRO doesn't need to rely on animal testing the way earlier space programs did. Instead, that role will be filled by Vyomitra, a heavily instrumented humanoid robot. "The technology that we have today was not available then. Actually, to highlight, you know, the kind of processing power your mobile phone holds today is more than what the mission computer for the Apollo mission had, which took humans around the moon and brought them back. You know, so that is where we stand today. So that is the kind of difference in what we can achieve today. And you are familiar with Moore's law: every two years, the size of chips will keep reducing over a period of time. So I think that today we don't need to experiment on animals to understand what is happening in space," Shukla said. "The Vyomitra, the humanoid robot that he is talking about, in the initial test missions will carry a humanoid robot which is very heavily instrumented. Instrumented to collect data, to collect the temperature, the pressure, the vibrations, the sound- all of that it is going to collect and give us a very good idea of what the internal environment of the capsule is going to be like. So that, if required, we can make some changes, and we have very good information, or, you know, the introductory talk or the presentation talked about data being intelligible, you know, data being refined so that you can use it effectively. So this is what Vyomitra is going to do. It is going to give us good, solid data which we can use to refine our further missions and have very good confidence in the systems when actual missions are going to space," Shukla added.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/space-experience-reinforced-belief-in-higher-power-astronaut-shubhanshu-shukla-1791385477295">Space experience reinforced belief in ‘higher power’: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla</a><h3>Three uncrewed missions before any astronaut flies</h3>The interviewer clarified Vyomitra's role further, describing her as a humanoid robot in female form, developed across various ISRO centres. According to the plan outlined, ISRO intends to fly three uncrewed Gaganyaan missions, with no astronauts on board, before any Gaganyatri, including Shukla himself, is cleared to fly. "A robot will go to space inside the capsule, and the robot will do all the testing. And once all of those go flawlessly, only then will we put our astronauts... in space," the interviewer explained, describing it as ISRO's methodical approach to human spaceflight. The conversation then turned to the training journey that transforms a fighter pilot into an astronaut, a path Shukla has walked, training across Star City in Russia, as well as facilities in the US, Europe, and Japan. Asked what it takes, Shukla didn't mince words about the scale of the undertaking. Shubhanshu Shukla said, "On an average, if I have to say, it takes about five years for any astronaut to fly to space, not just from India, whether it is from Russia, whether it is from US. This is the kind of time period that it takes to prepare an astronaut to go to Space. And the reason it takes so much of time is once you are up there, you are by yourself. There is no help available, you are trying to create and sustain life in an environment wherein it should not exist, you know, there is no reason to support life out there. It really widens your horizon to understand how things are happening, how things are being done in different domains, in different disciplines and many times what happens is that you learn something from another discipline and you find that it is suitably applied to some other discipline that you were very used to. So that is the reason that it takes a lot of time to prepare as astronauts. It took us also about five years before we flew and it will be the same story for any future astronauts who are going to fly. It will take this much of time." &nbsp;

Shukla said the processing power in a modern mobile phone has become far better and more efficient compared to the Apollo missions' computers, which carried astronauts to the Moon and back. He said the technology that we possess today was not available then.

In a wide-ranging discussion about India's first human spaceflight ambitions, Gaganyaan astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla opened up about the role of ISRO's humanoid robot, Vyomitra, which is being prepared for India's first crewed space missions. During the conversation, Shukla explained how far technology has advanced since the 1960s and drew comparisons to the early Soviet space program, where animals were sent to space ahead of humans. Shukla pointed out that the processing power in a modern mobile phone has become far better and more efficient as compared to the Apollo missions' computers, which carried astronauts to the Moon and back. He said the technology that we possess today was not available then. Speaking about the Soviet space program, where animals were sent to space ahead of humans, Shukla said that at the moment, ISRO doesn't need to rely on animal testing the way earlier space programs did. Instead, that role will be filled by Vyomitra, a heavily instrumented humanoid robot. "The technology that we have today was not available then. Actually, to highlight, you know, the kind of processing power your mobile phone holds today is more than what the mission computer for the Apollo mission had, which took humans around the moon and brought them back. You know, so that is where we stand today. So that is the kind of difference in what we can achieve today. And you are familiar with Moore's law: every two years, the size of chips will keep reducing over a period of time. So I think that today we don't need to experiment on animals to understand what is happening in space," Shukla said. "The Vyomitra, the humanoid robot that he is talking about, in the initial test missions will carry a humanoid robot which is very heavily instrumented. Instrumented to collect data, to collect the temperature, the pressure, the vibrations, the sound- all of that it is going to collect and give us a very good idea of what the internal environment of the capsule is going to be like. So that, if required, we can make some changes, and we have very good information, or, you know, the introductory talk or the presentation talked about data being intelligible, you know, data being refined so that you can use it effectively. So this is what Vyomitra is going to do. It is going to give us good, solid data which we can use to refine our further missions and have very good confidence in the systems when actual missions are going to space," Shukla added. Also read: Space experience reinforced belief in ‘higher power’: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Three uncrewed missions before any astronaut flies The interviewer clarified Vyomitra's role further, describing her as a humanoid robot in female form, developed across various ISRO centres. According to the plan outlined, ISRO intends to fly three uncrewed Gaganyaan missions, with no astronauts on board, before any Gaganyatri, including Shukla himself, is cleared to fly. "A robot will go to space inside the capsule, and the robot will do all the testing. And once all of those go flawlessly, only then will we put our astronauts... in space," the interviewer explained, describing it as ISRO's methodical approach to human spaceflight. The conversation then turned to the training journey that transforms a fighter pilot into an astronaut, a path Shukla has walked, training across Star City in Russia, as well as facilities in the US, Europe, and Japan. Asked what it takes, Shukla didn't mince words about the scale of the undertaking. Shubhanshu Shukla said, "On an average, if I have to say, it takes about five years for any astronaut to fly to space, not just from India, whether it is from Russia, whether it is from US. This is the kind of time period that it takes to prepare an astronaut to go to Space. And the reason it takes so much of time is once you are up there, you are by yourself. There is no help available, you are trying to create and sustain life in an environment wherein it should not exist, you know, there is no reason to support life out there. It really widens your horizon to understand how things are happening, how things are being done in different domains, in different disciplines and many times what happens is that you learn something from another discipline and you find that it is suitably applied to some other discipline that you were very used to. So that is the reason that it takes a lot of time to prepare as astronauts. It took us also about five years before we flew and it will be the same story for any future astronauts who are going to fly. It will take this much of time."

Shukla said the processing power in a modern mobile phone has become far better and more efficient compared to the Apollo missions' computers, which carried astronauts to the Moon and back. He said the technology that we possess today was not available then.

'We don't need to experiment on animals anymore for spaceflight': Shubhanshu Shukla opens up on ISRO's humanoid robot Vyomitra

Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the ISS and the second Indian to travel into space, shared a fascinating video revealing how he managed meals aboard the International Space Station (ISS). In the video, he explained the unique routines astronauts must follow while eating in zero gravity.&nbsp;“Food in space. Never thought I would have to learn to eat again. Here I am explaining why habits matter when you are eating in space. If you are not mindful you can easily create a mess and you don’t want to be that guy. Solid mantra that works for anything in space ‘Slow is Fast’,” Shukla wrote in a post on his social media platform X.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Food in space. Never thought I would have to learn to eat again 😅. Here I am explaining why habits matter when you are eating in space. If you are not mindful you can easily create a mess and you don’t want to be that guy. Solid mantra that works for anything in space “Slow is… <a href="https://t.co/ZxVtqaM8Jz">pic.twitter.com/ZxVtqaM8Jz</a>&mdash; Shubhanshu Shukla (@gagan_shux) <a href="https://twitter.com/gagan_shux/status/1962875059355496500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

He also shared an interesting fact about gravity, mentioning that people don’t need it to digest food, as the ‘peristalsis’ process helps in the digestion of food.&nbsp;“Other interesting fact is we don’t need gravity to digest food. A process called ‘peristalsis’ is responsible for digestion which is gravity independent. It is the contraction and relaxation of muscles to push food down through the digestive tract. Head up or head down, gravity or no gravity your body will always digest food. Bon appetit," he added.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/-passing-over-india-shubhanshu-shukla-shares-visuals-captured-during-his-space-mission-1756104274027">'Passing over India': Shubhanshu Shukla shares visuals captured during his space mission</a>&nbsp;In the clip, Shukla highlights the challenges of eating and drinking in space, showing how items are secured with Velcro to prevent them from floating away. He is also seen sipping coffee as the liquid drifts in microgravity and humorously saying, " You can even eat water in space. It is fun, but you have to be careful because things can go all around, and you have to be mindful."&nbsp;Later, he wrapped up his video saying," This is a short clip about food in space."<h3>Netizens react to the video</h3>After Shubhanshu Shukla posted the video on X, social media users flooded with their response in the comment section. An individual wrote, "Nice. These videos are always so much fun to see. Awesome to hear it in an accent I can relate to as well sir."&nbsp;The next said, "That's fascinating! I had no idea digestion worked without gravity. The 'Slow is Fast' mantra makes perfect sense to avoid a floating food disaster. Thanks for sharing!"&nbsp;Another said,"So cool and fun to see that for us, while it must be challenging over up there. Thanks for sharing this video with us Sir. Rudraksha coming out is cool."&nbsp;

In the video, Shubhanshu Shukla shared an interesting fact about gravity while sipping coffee, mentioning that people don’t need it to digest food, as the ‘peristalsis’ process helps in the digestion of food.

Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the ISS and the second Indian to travel into space, shared a fascinating video revealing how he managed meals aboard the International Space Station (ISS). In the video, he explained the unique routines astronauts must follow while eating in zero gravity. “Food in space. Never thought I would have to learn to eat again. Here I am explaining why habits matter when you are eating in space. If you are not mindful you can easily create a mess and you don’t want to be that guy. Solid mantra that works for anything in space ‘Slow is Fast’,” Shukla wrote in a post on his social media platform X.

In the video, Shubhanshu Shukla shared an interesting fact about gravity while sipping coffee, mentioning that people don’t need it to digest food, as the ‘peristalsis’ process helps in the digestion of food.

Can we eat water in space? Here is what Shubhanshu Shukla revealed about life aboard ISS | WATCH

This method mirrors the recent return of Sunita Williams aboard Boeing’s Starliner just weeks ago, although 41 years earlier, India’s first astronaut, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, had touched down on solid ground rather than at sea.

This method mirrors the recent return of Sunita Williams aboard Boeing’s Starliner just weeks ago, although 41 years earlier, India’s first astronaut, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, had touched down on solid ground rather than at sea.

Why astronauts trust the ocean? The science behind Shubhanshu Shukla’s splashdown

This marks the end of Shukla’s 18-day stay aboard the ISS, which began on June 25 after launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

This marks the end of Shukla’s 18-day stay aboard the ISS, which began on June 25 after launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Ax-4 undocks: Shubhanshu Shukla starts 22-hour journey home, what happens after landing?

The Government of India on Sunday (Jul 6) released the latest pictures of Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Shukla, who with the Axiom-4 mission became the first Indian on the ISS, can be seen observing Earth in the breathtaking pictures. After repeated delays, Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three other crew members – mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary; and Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, a former NASA astronaut now with Axiom Space — docked with the ISS on June 26 after a 28-hour journey around the Earth.<h2>Gazing down from space: Shubhanshu Shukla's otherworldly pictures</h2>On X, the GOI's handle MyGovIndia on Sunday shared a set of pictures featuring Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and one word that can be used to describe them is "otherworldly". A total of four pictures were posted along with the caption: “Gazing Down From The Space!...Group Capt Shubhanshu Shukla enjoys the stunning panoramic view of Earth from the 7-windowed Cupola Module aboard the International Space Station. It’s been a remarkable journey as he marks a week in orbit, representing India among the stars.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Gazing Down From The Space! Group Capt Shubhanshu Shukla enjoys the stunning panoramic view of Earth from the 7-windowed Cupola Module aboard the International Space Station. It’s been a remarkable journey as he marks a week in orbit, representing India among the stars.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Axiom4?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Axiom4</a>… <a href="https://t.co/E9XKZIatng">pic.twitter.com/E9XKZIatng</a>&mdash; MyGovIndia (@mygovindia) <a href="https://twitter.com/mygovindia/status/1941712489424531612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In two of the pictures, Shukla can be seen looking at our blue planet Earth from the ISS's 7-windowed Cupola Module. In the other two pictures, the beaming astronaut an be seen carrying out his experiments aboard the ISS.&nbsp;<h2>How long will astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla stay on the ISS?</h2>Shukla's success marks a key achievement for India. The last time India sent an astronaut to space, Shukla wasn't even born. He is the first Indian to reach space since Rakesh Sharma, who flew to the Salyut 7 station in 1984 as part of an Indo-Soviet mission."What a fantastic ride," Shukla said in Hindi after liftoff. "This isn't just the start of my journey to the International Space Station – it's the beginning of India's human space programme." The trailblazing astronaut's mission as per the schedule is set to last 14 days. He has already completed 11 days of living and working in the ISS's microgravity.

On X, the GOI's handle MyGovIndia on Sunday shared a set of pictures featuring Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and one word that can be used to describe them is "otherworldly".

The Government of India on Sunday (Jul 6) released the latest pictures of Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Shukla, who with the Axiom-4 mission became the first Indian on the ISS, can be seen observing Earth in the breathtaking pictures. After repeated delays, Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three other crew members – mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary; and Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, a former NASA astronaut now with Axiom Space — docked with the ISS on June 26 after a 28-hour journey around the Earth. Gazing down from space: Shubhanshu Shukla's otherworldly pictures On X, the GOI's handle MyGovIndia on Sunday shared a set of pictures featuring Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and one word that can be used to describe them is "otherworldly". A total of four pictures were posted along with the caption: “Gazing Down From The Space!...Group Capt Shubhanshu Shukla enjoys the stunning panoramic view of Earth from the 7-windowed Cupola Module aboard the International Space Station. It’s been a remarkable journey as he marks a week in orbit, representing India among the stars.”

On X, the GOI's handle MyGovIndia on Sunday shared a set of pictures featuring Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and one word that can be used to describe them is "otherworldly".

‘Gazing Down From The Space’: Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s stunning space pics from ISS go viral

India has recently made history by sending Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS) through a commercial space mission called Axiom Mission 4. The mission was organised by the US-based company Axiom Space. The cost of India’s participation was around $70 million, and it is shared with countries like Hungary and Poland. It also marks that this is the first time India has paid for a spot on a private astronaut flight.&nbsp;This investment is a huge step toward India’s future human spaceflight project, Gaganyaan, and it also helps to strengthen space ties with the United States.&nbsp;The mission will give India hands-on experience in space travel while boosting cooperation between nations. The mission brought together many organisations. &nbsp;Axiom Space is also aiming to build its own space station and work with SpaceX in future.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-tambora-to-krakatoa-5-famous-volcanic-eruptions-in-history-no-1-is-most-deadliest-1751697915177">From Tambora to Krakatoa: 5 famous volcanic eruptions in history, No. 1 is most deadliest</a><h2>What is India using the International Space Station for?</h2>India is using the opportunity Shukla got to stay at the International Space Station (ISS) to perform seven science experiments in microgravity and in fields like medicine, materials and agriculture. In total, 60 experiments from 31 countries were carried out.<h2>Mission Akash Ganga: India's gateway to commercial space travel</h2>The mission is being called ‘Mission Akash Ganga’ in India, symbolising both science and cultural pride. It shows India's rising status as a space power and its ability to partner globally.&nbsp;With this mission, India has now entered the world of commercial space travel and cracked open new opportunities for future research and businesses in low Earth orbit.Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s journey shows how space missions can bring nations together and how India is ready to play a key role in shaping that future. &nbsp;

With this mission, India has entered the world of commercial space travel, opening up opportunities for future research and businesses in low Earth orbit.

India has recently made history by sending Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS) through a commercial space mission called Axiom Mission 4. The mission was organised by the US-based company Axiom Space. The cost of India’s participation was around $70 million, and it is shared with countries like Hungary and Poland. It also marks that this is the first time India has paid for a spot on a private astronaut flight. This investment is a huge step toward India’s future human spaceflight project, Gaganyaan, and it also helps to strengthen space ties with the United States. The mission will give India hands-on experience in space travel while boosting cooperation between nations. The mission brought together many organisations. Axiom Space is also aiming to build its own space station and work with SpaceX in future. Also read: From Tambora to Krakatoa: 5 famous volcanic eruptions in history, No. 1 is most deadliest What is India using the International Space Station for? India is using the opportunity Shukla got to stay at the International Space Station (ISS) to perform seven science experiments in microgravity and in fields like medicine, materials and agriculture. In total, 60 experiments from 31 countries were carried out. Mission Akash Ganga: India's gateway to commercial space travel The mission is being called ‘Mission Akash Ganga’ in India, symbolising both science and cultural pride. It shows India's rising status as a space power and its ability to partner globally. With this mission, India has now entered the world of commercial space travel and cracked open new opportunities for future research and businesses in low Earth orbit. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s journey shows how space missions can bring nations together and how India is ready to play a key role in shaping that future.

With this mission, India has entered the world of commercial space travel, opening up opportunities for future research and businesses in low Earth orbit.

How much did India spend to send astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to space? Was it worth it?

group-captain-shubhanshu-shukla

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, News on Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, stories on Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, articles on Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla stories at Wion, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla news, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla latest news

group captain-shubhanshu-shukla

'We don't need to experiment on animals anymore for spaceflight': Shubhanshu Shukla opens up on ISRO's humanoid robot Vyomitra

Can we eat water in space? Shubhanshu Shukla revealed about life aboard ISS

Why astronauts trust the ocean? The science behind Shubhanshu’s splashdown

Shubhanshu Shukla starts 22-hour journey home, what happens after landing?

Gazing Down From Space: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's space pics go viral

How much did India spend to send astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to space?