As India gears up to send its second astronaut into space, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, known by his call sign “Shux,” is drawing admiration from peers and experts alike.
Among them is Hazzaa AlMansoori, the UAE’s first astronaut, who trained alongside Shukla and shared strong words of support ahead of the Axiom 4 mission.
“It was a great pleasure to work with him,” AlMansoori said, recalling their training time together in Houston. “We worked together on his preparation for his mission. Shux was in his training. During preparation, we had the opportunity to get together and talk about his mission and preparation. He was a great guy. Down to earth, he's going to be the pilot for the Dragon vehicle.”
Both trained fighter pilots, Shukla and AlMansoori bonded during rigorous sessions simulating emergency situations aboard the International Space Station (ISS), including fires, toxic gas leaks, and depressurisation scenarios.
“We simulated different scenarios… we have this situation where we got like fire, God forbid, or like depressurization, or like we call it, toxic gases just inside the station,” said AlMansoori. “We have to work as a group. And I saw that Shukla was really prepared and ready for the scenarios.”
Calling Shukla “really professional and ready for his flight,” AlMansoori expressed full confidence in his Indian counterpart's capability to represent the country with pride. “It’s a great privilege for him and a great responsibility. I have no doubt, he can do it. He’s going to represent India in a great way and a very professional way.”
AlMansoori also shared a heartfelt message for Shukla ahead of his mission: “Shux, just enjoy your experience aboard the space station. A very, very small group of people get this opportunity to float in space and to experience this feeling. So enjoy it. Make sure to capture a lot of photos for yourself, for your family, and for the whole world, because they’re going to look up to you from the ground here. And also, I wish you a happy landing.”
Looking beyond the mission, the Emirati astronaut extended an invitation to Shukla to visit the UAE post-flight to share his experiences with students and communities. “Usually, after the human spaceflight, we are also keen in the UAE to invite astronauts who returned from space and to share the experience with everyone, especially schools and universities.”
He also reassured Indian audiences about the safety of the mission, stating: “Falcon 9 is a great vehicle. It has proven that it’s very safe. God forbid, nothing’s going to happen. You’re going to be in really safe hands. Very professional team at SpaceX.”
AlMansoori concluded with a message to India: “Wish him all the luck and pray for him. And I have no doubt, guys, you’re going to enjoy the pictures, the experience that you will see in his eyes, and the things that you will see after his flight. So enjoy every moment of his mission, because you are part of it.”