Overview
- At the India International Science Festival in Panchkula, Shukla told students a new framework is being developed to let candidates beyond the Air Force pursue astronaut careers.
- He said his nearly 20-day Axiom-4 stay on the ISS included microgravity experiments on India-centric food, medicines and technologies intended to inform Gaganyaan.
- Shukla noted seeds flown to space have been returned for multi‑generation studies to observe changes linked to microgravity, with analysis still in early stages.
- He recounted physiological effects observed in orbit, including brain fog, nausea, appetite changes and a temporary height increase that reversed after landing.
- Citing a post‑mission call, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged building a pool of 40–50 astronauts, and he reiterated that message at Delhi’s AI Grind launch calling youth to action.