New Delhi: The Indian Air Force Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla launched his memoir The Second Orbit in New Delhi. At the event, Shukla said he wrote the book to share his life and spaceflight journey with everyone, especially children, so that it can “educate and inspire” them. The book comes almost a year after his landmark Axiom-4 mission, which made him the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS).
Details of The Second Orbit Book Launch
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla launched his memoir The Second Orbit in New Delhi on June 25, 2026. The event was attended by Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh and other senior officials.
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Speaking at the event, Shukla said writing the book was a “very different experience” for him. He explained that he wanted to share his journey and lessons with the public instead of keeping them only as personal memories.
He also said he hopes the book will help educate and inspire children, especially those who dream of doing something big in life.
Why is The Second Orbit Book Important?
This is not just another celebrity memoir. The Second Orbit is important because it comes from Shubhanshu Shukla, who helped write a new chapter in India’s space story.
- He is an Indian Air Force Group Captain
- He was chosen from ISRO’s Gaganyaan astronaut pool
- He served as mission pilot on the Axiom-4 mission
- He became the first Indian to reach the International Space Station
- He became the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma
That gives the book more weight. It is not just about space excitement. It is also about training, discipline, pressure, setbacks, and belief.
About the The Second Orbit Book
According to Penguin Random House India, The Second Orbit tells the story behind the public success. It focuses on the struggle, discipline, mental strength, and pressure behind a space mission. The publisher describes it as a story of belief, endurance, and carrying the hopes of 1.4 billion Indians.
Key themes of the book
- The hard training before spaceflight
- The mental pressure of carrying national expectations
- The personal struggle behind a public achievement
- Life around India’s human spaceflight journey
- Inspiration for students and future astronauts
What did Shubhanshu Shukla Say
At the launch, Shukla said he never imagined the book would become such a big project when he started writing it. But he felt it was important to tell the story so others could learn from it.
His message was simple:
- Big achievements should be shared
- Difficult journeys can teach others
- Children should feel inspired to dream bigger
What did Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh say
At the event, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh praised the book and Shukla’s journey. He said the story would act as a strong motivator for the younger generation and hoped more young Indians would be inspired by Shukla’s example.
That matters because India is preparing for bigger human space ambitions, including Gaganyaan, its first indigenous human spaceflight mission.
About the Shubhanshu Shukla’s Space Mission
To understand why this book matters, we need to look at what happened in 2025. Shubhanshu Shukla flew as a mission pilot on Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station. ISRO has said this mission gave India valuable real-world experience in crew training, mission operations, microgravity research, and international space coordination.
What made Ax-4 historic for India
- It sent an Indian astronaut to the ISS for the first time
- It gave ISRO hands-on human spaceflight experience before Gaganyaan
- It allowed Indian-led scientific experiments in space
- It raised public interest in astronauts, space science, and India’s future missions
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