Bengaluru, October 21, 2025 – Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, currently a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force, has shared a breathtaking video of India taken from space during Diwali. The video, captured from the International Space Station (ISS) during his 18-day orbital mission earlier this year, has quickly gone viral, drawing admiration from millions.
Shukla, also known as "Shux," posted the video on X, formerly Twitter, describing the view in poetic terms. He wrote, "Flying over India from space — from the sunlit southwest to the misty northeast — is like watching a living galaxy unfurl beneath you". He noted that India's radiance stood out even from hundreds of kilometers above Earth. "The peninsula glows like a jewel," he wrote, pointing out that "Pune sparkles; Bengaluru and Hyderabad shimmer like constellations drawn by human hands". The video then pans toward northern India, capturing faint glimmers along the horizon, including New Delhi. "And far on the horizon, a faint yet familiar gleam, New Delhi makes its presence known," he added.
The video, captured from the space station's observation module, sweeps across the subcontinent from southwest to northeast, revealing the dazzling glow of Indian cities celebrating the festival of lights. Shukla also captured flashes of lightning across the Bay of Bengal and central India, describing them as "purple flares," and "nature's own pyrotechnics". As the spacecraft glides farther north, the bright plains give way to the dark silhouettes of the Himalayas, followed by an orbital sunrise painting the upper atmosphere in soft blue hues.
Shukla concluded his post with a moving reflection: "This isn't just Diwali on Earth, it's Diwali of Earth. The festival of lights, written across an entire nation, glowing proudly on a cosmic stage". For millions watching from below, Shukla's words and video offered a new perspective on Diwali, uniting celebration with the cosmos.
Shukla's journey to the ISS in July 2025 marked a significant milestone for India's space program. He was the first ISRO astronaut to visit the ISS and the second Indian to travel to space, following Rakesh Sharma's flight in 1984. During his time on the ISS, Shukla conducted several experiments, including studies on the growth of microalgae, the impact of microgravity on the development of seeds, and the effects of computer screens in zero gravity. He also participated in studies on the Indian strain of Tardigrades, microscopic organisms known for their ability to survive in harsh conditions.
Shukla's participation in the Axiom Mission 4 was a collaboration between NASA, SpaceX, and ISRO, intended to strengthen international spaceflight cooperation. Prior to the mission, he underwent extensive training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia and at ISRO’s Astronaut Training Facility in Bangalore.
Shukla, born in Lucknow on October 10, 1985, was commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter wing in June 2006. He is a qualified test pilot with over 2,000 hours of flying experience on various aircraft. In 2019, he was selected for ISRO's Indian Human Spaceflight Programme.
