'I've Become A Water Bender': Shubhanshu Shukla Dazzles With Zero-Gravity Tricks Aboard ISS

Last Updated:July 14, 2025, 18:16 IST

Shukla, the mission pilot of the commercial Axiom-4 mission, performed the demonstration alongside mission commander Peggy Whitson

In the video, the two astronauts shared a light-hearted moment, laughing as the water orb floated between them.

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla entertained viewers with a light-hearted yet educational demonstration of water in microgravity while preparing to return to Earth aboard the Dragon capsule.

Shukla took a brief pause from duties to demonstrate the unusual behaviour of water in space, referring to himself as a “water bender" during the light-hearted moment.

During a live broadcast, Shukla floated a sparkling sphere of water toward the camera, joking, “I’ve become a water bender in space." The clip quickly gained attention across social media platforms.

Shukla, the mission pilot of the commercial Axiom-4 mission, performed the demonstration alongside veteran astronaut and mission commander Peggy Whitson. In the video, the two astronauts shared a light-hearted moment, laughing as the water orb floated between them.

Whitson explained the science behind the scene, saying, “In The water forms a ball in zero gravity because surface tension becomes much more dominant in the absence of gravity."

The water forms a ball in zero gravity because surface tension becomes much more dominant in the absence of gravity

To show this effect further, Whitson pressed a plastic bag gently into the water sphere. The water clung to the bag and distorted light like a lens, highlighting how fluid behaves differently in space.

Shukla also shared that the mission has been exciting and busy, filled with experiments and outreach work. “It has been very exciting. We have been very busy up here doing all the experiments and activities that we had. The fantastic thing is whenever I have downtime, I go out to the window and take a lot of pictures," he said.

After spending 18 days aboard the ISS, the Axiom-4 crew — including Shukla, Whitson, Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu — began their return to Earth on Monday evening.

Their journey began on 25 June, when a Falcon 9 rocket launched the Dragon capsule from Florida. Throughout the mission, the team balanced scientific work with outreach to students in India, Hungary, and Poland.

Asked about returning to Earth’s gravity, Whitson said, “From me having experienced it, I know first person — it sucks. Gravity really does." Shukla, on his first spaceflight, hopes for a smoother descent than his motion sickness-filled launch.

(With inputs from agencies)

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