Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, recently back from the International Space Station (ISS), is in recovery and learning to walk again. A video posted online captures him being escorted by two persons while gradually regaining balance and mobility, typical of post-space rehabilitation.
Shukla, the first Indian to visit the ISS and only the second Indian space traveler, spent more than two weeks in space during the Axiom-4 mission. The mission concluded on July 15 when the four-person crew splashed down off California’s coast at 5:31 a.m. New York time.
Their mission started with a launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, Axiom’s fourth crewed mission to low-Earth orbit.
The video, which was uploaded on Shukla’s Instagram, gives an insight into his recovery post-mission. Posting it for his fans, he mentioned, “I have been receiving a lot of messages on my health and wishing me early recovery. I wanted to thank you all and also provide an update.”
Watch here:
He explained how microgravity impacts the human body, stating, “Faced with microgravity our body undergoes various changes such as fluid shift, heart rate, balance adjustment, muscle loss. These are adaptations to the new environment. Once the body adapts to this and we get back to gravity, these adaptations occur again.”
Shukla further said, “Although it’s different for all the astronauts, the body automatically begins to adjust to its new environment soon. I was amazed to notice the speed with which our body adjusts to new environments. In the quest for the unknown (space), you learn more about yourself.”
The adaptation process after returning to Earth is critical, especially after an extended stay in zero gravity. Astronauts often require rehabilitation to readjust to Earth’s gravity, as prolonged time in space impacts muscles, balance, and circulation.
According to Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Shukla and his fellow astronauts are supposed to stay in quarantine until July 23. During this time, they will undergo medical evaluations and gravitational reconditioning.
The Axiom-4 mission was not only historic for India, but also for international space cooperation. Joining Shukla were American astronaut Peggy Whitson on her fifth ISS mission and currently the Director of Human Spaceflight at Axiom along with Poland’s Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu. It was the first time Indian, Polish, and Hungarian astronauts had visited the ISS.
