NEW DELHI: Days after returning from space, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla posted a video of himself “floating” inside the International Space Station.In a video shared on Instagram, Shukla was seen practicing staying absolutely still in microgravity.“From the time we reached the ISS, we were quite busy chasing the timeline and completing our tasks and experiments. It is a bit challenging initially, as you are learning to move in microgravity and also getting to know the station,” Shukla wrote.“This video was a few days into the mission when I finally had better control over my movements. What I wanted to do was to be just still – but clearly failed,” he added.“Any small disturbance can move your body in space, and it takes skill to be completely still. Kind of like our minds in this fast-moving world. Take some time to be still today. It is important to sometimes slow down to be fast. Apparently, being still is a challenge -with or without gravity,” he said.Shukla returned safely to Earth as SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, Grace, splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, bringing the nearly three-week Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to a close.During their mission aboard the ISS, the Ax-4 crew conducted over 60 experiments from 31 countries, including seven led by India’s ISRO.Shukla’s return marks a milestone for India’s growing presence in commercial spaceflight.
