Before stepping into history, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is adding a touch of home鈥攁nd heart鈥攖o his suitcase. As he readies for liftoff to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot revealed he will carry three uniquely Indian items with him: mango nectar, moong dal halwa, and carrot halwa. “There will be plenty of food to eat in space, but I will be carrying mango nectar, carrot halwa (gajar ka halwa) and moong dal halwa with me,” Shukla said at a press conference, as quoted by the BBC. His intention isn’t just to enjoy the sweets in space鈥攈e plans to share them with fellow astronauts aboard the ISS. But food isn’t the only thing he’s packing with care. Shukla also revealed he will carry a personal, secret souvenir for India’s first astronaut, Rakesh Sharma. “He has been advising me on many things, including how to prepare for this mission,” Shukla said. Though he didn’t reveal what the item is, he added, “It will be a surprise when I return.” Shubhanshu Shukla Is First Indian To Travel To ISS This emotional gesture comes as Shukla prepares to become the first Indian to travel to the ISS, nearly 41 years after Sharma鈥檚 iconic spaceflight in 1984. Born in 1985, Shukla grew up inspired by Sharma’s achievement鈥攁nd now finds himself stepping into a similar legacy. His journey, part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), will lift off at 12:01 PM IST on Wednesday from NASA鈥檚 Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The two-week mission will include around 60 scientific experiments, including seven designed by ISRO. Flying alongside Shukla will be American astronaut and commander Peggy Whitson, Polish astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu. The crew will travel aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule launched by a Falcon 9 rocket, in a mission jointly conducted by Axiom Space, NASA, ISRO, and the European Space Agency. A Toy Swan Named Joy One unexpected crew member joining the mission is a small white toy swan named Joy, which will act as the capsule鈥檚 zero-gravity indicator. The swan, chosen for its multicultural symbolism, represents wisdom and Saraswati鈥檚 vehicle in India, purity and resilience in Poland, and loyalty and grace in Hungary. As posters of Shukla go up in his hometown of Lucknow, excitement is mounting across the nation. And as he takes Indian food, culture, and dreams into orbit, Shukla鈥檚 own words say it best: “I carry not just instruments and equipment, I carry hopes and dreams of a billion hearts.”