Books & Authors

Shubhanshu Shukla Launches Book 'The Second Orbit' on His Space Journey

By TestNeeti Editorial TeamPublished Sunday, 5 July 2026 2 min readSource: India GazetteArticle 10 of 17

Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla said his newly launched book, 'The Second Orbit', is an effort to share his journey and inspire people across the country to explore the field of space and astronomy. Speaking after the book launch in Bengaluru, Shukla said the book would help him reach millions and encourage them to contribute to the nation's space programme. Scientist and former ISRO chairperson A S Kiran Kumar said the book will provide first-hand knowledge to the next generation. Former ISRO Chairman S. Somanath said the book documents Shukla's journey and explains how the Axiom-4 mission became possible under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision. Shukla also said the launch date of the Gaganyaan mission would be decided only after completing the required tests to ensure the highest safety standards.

Key Facts & Details

8 points

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IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla launched his book 'The Second Orbit' in Bengaluru.
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The book aims to share his space journey and inspire Indians to contribute to the nation's space programme.
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Former ISRO chairperson A S Kiran Kumar said the book offers first-hand knowledge to the next generation.
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Former ISRO Chairman S. Somanath said it explains how the Axiom-4 mission became possible under PM Narendra Modi's vision.
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Shukla said the Gaganyaan launch date would be decided only after completing the required safety tests.

Deep Dive

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Shukla noted that writing the book was a way to reach people across a vast country he could not visit in person.
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Somanath stressed that Gaganyaan poses far greater technical challenges as India must develop its own human-spaceflight capabilities.
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Gaganyaan is India's flagship human spaceflight programme led by ISRO, aiming to send three astronauts to Low Earth Orbit for three days.

Exam Focus

Examiners may ask the book's title ('The Second Orbit'), its author (Shubhanshu Shukla), or the mission he flew (Axiom-4).

Exam Relevance & Angle

Books by prominent figures and India's spaceflight milestones are both exam staples. The precise hooks are the title 'The Second Orbit', author Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, and the Axiom-4 mission linked to India's Gaganyaan ambitions.

Target Exams

SBI POIBPS POSSC CGLSSC CHSLRRB NTPCUPSC CSEState PCS

Background & Context

Shubhanshu Shukla is an Indian Air Force officer and astronaut associated with India's human-spaceflight efforts, including the Axiom-4 commercial mission to the International Space Station. Gaganyaan is India's first human spaceflight programme, led by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), aiming to send a crew of three to Low Earth Orbit for a three-day mission and return them safely. Memoirs and accounts by astronauts serve to popularise science and inspire students, a recurring theme in the Books & Authors segment of current affairs.