Earlier on Thursday, Axiom Space had a live uplink with the astronauts on board where Group Captain Shukla spoke about his first 24 hours in space.
“What a ride!,” he said, adding that it has been “an amazing feeling to be just floating in space” and that “it’s been fun time”.
“I was not feeling great when we got shot into vacuum, but I’m told I’ve been sleeping a lot, which is a great sign,” he said laughing.
“I’m enjoying the view, the experience and learning anew, like a baby, how to walk, to control yourself and to eat and read,” he added.
As Group Captain Shukla and other crew members spoke, Joy – a small, white toy swan described as Ax-4’s “fifth crew member” – floated in and out of vision.
Axiom has said Joy is “more than a cute companion for the Ax-4 crew” and is travelling to space as their “zero-G [zero-gravity] indicator”.
During Thursday’s broadcast, Group Captain Shukla said the baby swan “symbolises wisdom and ability to discern what is important and what is not” which made it “so important in this age of distractions”.
Soon after Wednesday’s launch, Commander Peggy Whitson revealed the name of their vehicle: Grace.
“Grace is more than a name,” she said. “It reflects the elegance with which we move through space against the backdrop of Earth. It speaks to the refinement of our mission, the harmony of science and spirit, and the unmerited favour we carry with humility.”
The name, she added, was a reminder “that spaceflight is not just a feat of engineering, but an act of goodwill – for the benefit of every human, everywhere”.