IAF Group Captain, Shubhanshu Shukla, is the Lucknow boy who dreamed of the stars and is now living among them. The officer created history as the second Indian astronaut to set his journey to the International Space Station. On June 25, 2025, Shubhanshu and the crew headed to the International Space Station (ISS). The officer and the crew were lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center located in Florida, which is a part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). However, do you know Shubhanshu has carried traditional Indian sweets to space?
IAF Group Captain, Shubhanshu Shukla, carries traditional Indian sweets to space
The Axiom Mission has marked India’s return to space after 41 years since Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to be in space. Group Captain, Shubhanshu is piloting the mission, and during an interview with the BBC, Shubhanshu shared of taking specially curated Indian sweets with him. Accompanying him aboard is a carefully prepared khane ka dabba that is more than just sustenance. It is a story of tradition, family and identity floating 400 kilometres above the Earth. In the dabba are aamras made from the famed Malihabadi mangoes, so be sure to remind Shukla of his home in Lucknow. In a press interview, Group Captain Shubhanshu, before the takeoff, shared:
“There will be plenty of food in space, but I will carry mango nectar, gajar (carrot) ka halwa, and moong dal halwa with me.”