Thunderstorms, Sunrise, Himalayas: Shubhanshu Shukla Shows India From Space

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has shared a mesmerising time-lapse video showing what India looks like from space. Shot aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the footage shows the Earth appearing to roll beneath the spacecraft as it orbits from south to north over the Indian Ocean along India's east coast.

"This is a Timelapse video of Bharat from space," Mr Shukla, the first Indian to visit the ISS, wrote on X.

The ISS orbits the Earth about 408 km above the surface. It travels at nearly 28,000 kmph and completes one orbit every 90 minutes. Footage showed cities at night glowing like a web of tiny lights. "The purple flashes you see are lightning happening in thunderstorms all over the country," he explained.

The Himalayas appear as dark regions against the brightened cities. "That's the Himalayas," he said.

*- Watch the video in landscape with screen brightness high.

While on orbit I tried to capture pictures and videos so that I can share this journey with you all.

This is a Timelapse video of Bharat from space. The @iss is moving from south to north from the Indian Ocean. We are… pic.twitter.com/ETEARm88tz

— Shubhanshu Shukla (@gagan_shux) August 22, 2025

As the ISS moves, the video captures the sunrise from orbit, gradually flooding the terrain with light. 

"As we cross over, you see light start to flood in because you are witnessing a sunrise in orbit. Also notice the stars in the background," he added. 

Stars twinkle in the background, and the Earth's curved horizon is framed by a thin blue halo, which is the atmosphere.

"It truly is a mesmerising dance of natural elements turning it into one beautiful spectacle," the astronaut wrote.

Mr Shukla said he shot the clip during the monsoon season, when clouds covered much of the country. Still, he managed to get clear glimpses of India. "When you see this I want you to feel as if you are sitting in the cupola((window in ISS) and witnessing it yourself," he wrote on X.

He advised watching the video in landscape mode with the screen brightness set high for the full immersive effect.

Mr Shukla made history during the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), launched on June 25 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The mission, a collaboration between NASA, SpaceX, and ISRO, included Commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu. Mr Shukla served as the mission pilot, carrying out over 60 scientific experiments and 20 outreach programmes, including several designated by ISRO.

Shubhanshu Shukla returned to Earth on July 15. He met Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week, presenting him with a mission patch and the Indian tricolour, which flew aboard the ISS.