Mango Nectar, Halwa and a Baby Swan, Things That Shubhanshu Shukla Will Carry As He Becomes 2nd Indian to Go to Space

In a symbolic and sentimental gesture, Shubhanshu Shukla will carry mango nectar, gajar ka halwa, and moong dal halwa.

When Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla launches aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket on June 10 for his maiden voyage to the International Space Station (ISS), he will carry with him a deeply personal memento, a special souvenir intended for Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, India’s first man in space.

“It is a surprise, and I want to personally hand it over to him once I’m back,” Shukla stated at a joint press briefing on Tuesday. For Shukla, Sharma has been more than a national hero; he’s been a mentor. “Right from my selection to every step of the way, he has always been there to guide me. As a fellow test pilot in the Air Force, he understands the challenges and preparations very well. I speak to him regularly and he assured me that I have his full support,” Shukla said.

From 1984 to 2025: A Legacy of Space Dreams

India’s journey into space began with Rakesh Sharma’s historic 1984 mission aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Born a year later, Shukla said it was those stories in textbooks that first ignited his dream of spaceflight.

“But since India did not have an active human spaceflight programme, there was no possibility for me to become an astronaut,” he added. “However, I was fascinated by fighter jets and was mesmerised when I saw an air show. When the opportunity arose in 2018 through Gaganyaan, I just applied instinctively.”

Now, Shukla is one of the four astronaut-designates for Gaganyaan, the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme, and the sole Indian aboard Axiom Mission-4, a 14-day commercial science mission to low Earth orbit. According to News18 reports, he has undergone rigorous training over the past year, preparing not only for the challenges of microgravity but also for scientific experimentation in space.

During his stay aboard the ISS, Shukla will conduct seven experiments shortlisted by ISRO, examining the effects of microgravity on stem cells, crop seeds, and more. “Having trained extensively and repeatedly over the past one year, I’m very confident not just in my own abilities, but in the entire team’s capacity to execute this mission successfully,” he said.

A Taste of India in Space

In a symbolic and sentimental gesture, Shukla will carry mango nectar, gajar ka halwa, and moong dal halwa, a nostalgic taste of home. “Some of them are my favourites, and I’m happy to carry them with me,” he added.

He will also take along cultural souvenirs and symbolic items designed by students of the National Institute of Design, celebrating India’s artistic spirit and legacy in the cosmos.

Global Crew, Shared Mission

The Axiom Mission-4 crew features astronauts from the United States, Hungary, Poland, and India. Currently in quarantine and final preparations at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the team introduced their mission mascot on Tuesday, a plush baby swan named Joy.

The swan will act as the mission’s zero-gravity indicator, confirming the moment the crew transitions into microgravity. The mascot was chosen for its cultural resonance, wisdom and purity in India, resilience and loyalty in Poland, and natural beauty and devotion in Hungary.

“A universal symbol of grace and elegance, the baby swan embodies the shared mission of ISRO, ESA, and the Hungarian orbit programme into space, representing cultural harmony, a collective return to human spaceflight, and a united international crew,” Axiom Space said in a statement.

A Message from Orbit

Shukla is also set to interact with Indian students, educators, and members of the country’s growing space industry through live sessions from orbit. “I just want to tell everyone that space is no longer a distant dream, it’s a future they can share,” he said.

The space vehicle, currently known only as 213, will receive a special name upon docking in orbit. But for Shukla, what he’s most looking forward to is learning his traveller’s number, a unique serial marking his official place in the timeline of human space exploration.

“Every astronaut is assigned a traveller’s number and I’m eager to know what mine would be,”he said.

As India’s space dreams take another giant leap, Shukla’s mission not only bridges generations, from Rakesh Sharma to the new vanguard of explorers, but also reaffirms that the stars are within reach for the next generation of Indians.

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