From Lucknow To The Stars: Kamana Shukla Becomes First Indian Woman To Receive ISS Call As Husband Shubhanshu Returns Home | India News
Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has successfully returned to Earth following an 18-day space journey on the International Space Station (ISS). His return was also marked by a tearful reunion with his family and a special distinction for his wife, Kamana Shukla, who became the first Indian woman to ever take a call from space.
Group Captain Shukla, who flew aboard the Axiom-4 mission on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on June 25, arrived at the ISS along with his crew on June 26. On the exact same day, he placed a video call to his wife, Kamana, from the space station.
“Hearing his voice and knowing he was safe was everything to me,” Kamana said, explaining the special experience of hearing from space. As they talked, Shubhanshu told her about his daily routine, the science experiments taking place on the ISS, and stunning vistas of Earth from space.
Kamana had already been in the United States since 25th June, readying her husband’s return and helping him through his mission. She even started making arrangements for his rehabilitation to enable him to smoothly readjust to life on Earth.
Their long-awaited reunion was on July 16 in Houston, USA, when Shubhanshu met his wife Kamana and six-year-old son, Kiyash. This emotional reunion was after a two-month quarantine period, required both before and after his space flight, when he had to keep an eight-meter distance from his family.
Group Captain Shukla, who could not hold back his emotions at the reunion, said, “Flying in space is wonderful, but to meet loved ones after so many years is wonderful too.”
Shubhanshu and Kamana’s relationship goes back to third grade in Lucknow’s City Montessori School, and they got married in 2009.
Noteworthy here is that Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is the second Indian so far who is flying out to space, after 1984 when Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma was the first one. During his 18-day stay on the ISS, Shukla performed over 60 scientific experiments including remarkable work of growing fenugreek and moong beans which is all new in India’s efforts to research space.
