‘House journey alters worldview, Earth belongs to everybody,’ says Rakesh Sharma as Shubhanshu Shukla’s Axiom-4 mission makes historical past for India

Astronaut Rakesh Sharma, the primary Indian to journey into house in 1984, stated that house journey alters the mindset of people, making them see the world from a perspective the place “this planet belongs to everybody” and isn’t the only real protect of anybody.

He shared his ideas in a recorded podcast shared by the Ministry of Defence on the day India returned to house after 41 years, as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla from India and three different astronauts set forth on a landmark house odyssey on Wednesday (June 25, 2025).

Mr. Sharma had spent eight days in orbit within the erstwhile Soviet Union’s Salyut-7 house station in 1984.

Mr. Shukla scripted historical past by embarking on an area journey mission, together with three others from the U.S., Poland, and Hungary, to the Worldwide House Station as a part of a industrial mission by Axiom House.

Sharma recollects historic flight

Within the podcast launched Wednesday night time, Mr. Sharma, who had famously stated, ‘Sare Jehan Se Acha...’ throughout his time within the orbit, stated he was a take a look at pilot within the Indian Air Pressure when the choice occurred.

He later retired as wing commander from the IAF.

“As a result of I used to be a take a look at pilot when the choice occurred.. that point, I used to be younger, I used to be match, and I had the qualification, so I used to be fortunate sufficient to have been chosen. Then, after choice, we moved to Star Metropolis, simply outdoors Moscow, for our coaching.

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“The coaching went on for 18 months, which culminated within the Indo-Soviet spaceflight in 1984. It was an eight-day mission, and we carried out experiments which had been designed by Indian scientists,” he stated.

Mr. Sharma recalled that all the coaching and communication with crew members and mission management whereas they had been in orbit was in Russian.

“We needed to study the language earlier than we began coaching, and that was not simple due to the paucity of time. So, we took about two months to study the language,” he stated.

Completely different period

Whereas the Indo-Soviet spaceflight occurred in an analogue period when only a few owned a tv, the Axiom-4 mission lift-off was watched by folks on TV screens and cell phones stay throughout the globe.

After a number of delays, Elon Musk’s SpaceX launch automobile with Crew Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon-9 rocket blasted off from the Kennedy House Middle in Florida at 12:01 pm (IST) carrying mission pilot Shukla, former NASA astronaut Commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Tibor Kapu of Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland.

“Kamaal ki journey thi (It was an incredible journey),” Mr. Shukla stated 10 minutes after the Dragon spacecraft was positioned in orbit across the Earth at an altitude of 200 km as a part of the Axiom Mission 4(Ax-4).

Within the podcast, Mr. Sharma, when requested how he felt watching the world and India from house, exclaimed, “Oh expensive! Stunning.” “In our nation, we acquired every thing: we acquired an extended shoreline, we acquired the ghats part, we acquired plains, we acquired tropical forests, we acquired mountains, Himalayas. It is an exquisite sight, completely different colors, completely different textures,” he stated.

Mr. Sharma stated in house, days and nights are very uncommon, as sunrises and sunsets occur at an interval of simply 45 minutes.

Psychological impression

He stated whereas house journey know-how has modified, “as people, we have not modified a lot”.

“The psychological impression will at all times be there as a result of people will have the ability to get a unique perspective. It does sort of alter the world view… (exhibits) the huge place in universe,” the veteran astronaut stated.

It adjustments the mindset, he emphasised.

The IAF, in a put up on X, stated Mr. Shukla has set forth on a landmark house mission, carrying the delight of the nation past Earth.

It additionally stated, “It is a dèjà-vu second for India, 41 years after the mission of Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma, who first carried our Tricolour past Earth. Being greater than a mission – it’s a reaffirmation of India’s ever-expanding horizon.”

Way forward for house journey

Requested about the way forward for Indian house journey, Mr. Sharma stated, “We shall be going farther and farther from planet Earth.”

“We actually have to protect what we’ve got, which implies we have to finish conflicts, we have to overlook about our weapons….this planet belongs to everybody, it’s not a sole protect,” he underlined.

Mr. Sharma added that house exploration will “maintain marching forward”.

“I hope that India shall be a contemporary chief within the years to come back, and India will achieve its (house) mission, which I’m fairly assured we are going to,” he stated.

Mr. Sharma stated after his return from the mission, he went again to the Indian Air Pressure.

“And after few years, I moved to Hindustan Aeronautics Restricted as their chief take a look at pilot,” he stated, and recalled his affiliation with the evolution of the Mild Fight Plane (LCA) ‘Tejas’.