On July 8, 2025, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, aboard the International Space Station (ISS), held a 10-minute ham radio session with students from schools in Meghalaya and Assam.
The interaction, facilitated by the North East Space Applications Centre (NESAC) in Shillong, provided a rare opportunity for direct communication with an astronaut in orbit.
Shukla shared insights into life on the ISS, emphasizing curiosity, hard work, and self-belief, encouraging students to pursue their dreams of space exploration.
Shukla also discussed the challenges of adapting to microgravity, highlighting the body's changes in space and the need for exercise.
The students asked questions about space travel, daily life on the ISS, and astronaut training, with Shukla providing detailed answers and sharing personal experiences.
This event is part of a series of educational outreach activities by Shukla, including previous interactions with students in Kerala and Bengaluru.
Shukla's mission, Axiom-4, launched on June 25, 2025, marks a significant milestone as the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS, a collaborative effort between NASA, ISRO, and Axiom Space.