PANAJI: “I travelled to space with a billion hearts with me. Sky was never the limit, not for me, not for you,” said Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, AC, the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station, as he addressed more than 1,200 school students on Day 3 of the Goa Book Festival.
In a session moderated by Director of the National Book Trust, Yuvraj Malik, the astronaut offered a rare, candid glimpse into the reality of space travel, the discipline it demands, the fear it brings, and the resilience it builds.
On his journey to the launch pad, he revealed he listened to Vande Mataram from the film Fighter to steady himself. “I needed something that reminded me why I was going,” he said, describing the quiet, intensely personal moments before liftoff.
Recalling the moment the Falcon 9 rocket engines ignited, Shukla admitted, “I forgot all my training.” He compared the feeling to opening an examination paper despite weeks of preparation. “It was exactly like that, you’ve studied, you’re prepared, but when the moment comes, everything feels blank.”
He showed students a video of himself breathing heavily during lift-off, describing the intense physical pressure of launch and the emotional challenge of pre-mission isolation. “Being away from family is not easy,” he said, speaking about the days leading up to the mission as well as the time spent aboard the International Space Station.
Yet the session was filled with humour and awe. Shukla shared how astronauts improvised fun in zero gravity. “We even played basketball, except the basketball was my fellow astronaut,” he laughed. He spoke about walking on ceilings, and how, after returning to Earth, he dropped his laptop because “for a moment, I forgot gravity exists.”
Answering students' questions, Shukla spoke about the food he missed most and the emotional weight of separation. Reflecting on fear, he said, “Fear is simply worrying about the future.” His advice to students was direct: “Focus on the present. Keep your goal in sight. Don’t let small setbacks reduce your spirit to learn and grow.”
He reaffirmed Rakesh Sharma’s famous words from 1984, the first Indian to travel to outer space, saying India still looks “saare jahaan se accha” from space. Speaking about India’s future in space exploration, he highlighted the Gaganyaan mission and plans for an Indian space station. “The future of India in space will be shaped by your dreams,” he told the students.
Explaining scientific milestones in simple terms, Shukla noted, “I was Astronaut No. 634 to cross the Kármán line,” referring to the internationally recognised boundary of space at 100 kilometres above Earth. He also screened a video he captured from orbit, giving students a breathtaking view of India from above.
Reflecting on identity, he shared a powerful perspective, “We think our city or school is our identity. When we move outside India, our country becomes our identity. But when we go beyond this planet, we all become humans, and the Earth is our home.”
NBT Director Malik said the session captured the spirit of the festival. “The Goa Book Festival is about expanding young minds beyond textbooks. Listening to someone who has seen Earth from space reminds students that knowledge can quite literally take them beyond the sky,” he said.
Concluding the interaction, Shukla left students with a message that lingered long after the applause faded: “Dream big. Work hard. Stay disciplined. When dreams meet courage, even gravity cannot stop you.”
