A book, a uniform, and a dream that once seemed impossible — Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday, November 12, 2026, received a personal copy of The Second Orbit from its author, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force, calling the astronaut-designate's journey a blueprint for India's fearless next generation.

The book and the man behind it

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is one of India's astronaut candidates selected for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, the country's flagship mission to place an Indian crew in low-Earth orbit using an indigenous launch vehicle. A test pilot by training, Shukla represents the IAF's deep integration with India's civilian space ambitions — a bridge between cockpit and cosmos that ISRO has deliberately built into Gaganyaan's crew architecture.

The Second Orbit chronicles Shukla's personal and professional journey — the discipline, the setbacks, and the singular focus it takes to go from a fighter aircraft to the threshold of space. Singh described it as capturing 'a remarkable journey of courage, determination and achievement.'

Gaganyaan's human face

Gaganyaan was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2018 as India's first indigenous crewed orbital flight demonstration. The programme has since grown into a symbol of national scientific ambition, with IAF test pilots undergoing astronaut training to serve as the mission's crew. Public outreach — books, lectures, media engagements — by programme participants is part of a deliberate effort to build domestic enthusiasm and inspire the pipeline of scientists, engineers, and pilots India will need for its deeper space ambitions.

Shukla's decision to document his journey in writing adds a rare first-person dimension to a programme that has largely been communicated in mission milestones and technical briefings. Singh noted that the story would 'inspire countless young minds to dream fearlessly, push boundaries and believe that no sky is beyond India's reach.'

A minister's message to India's youth

Singh's reception of the book is more than a ceremonial exchange — it signals the defence establishment's stake in celebrating Gaganyaan's human story at a moment when the programme's crewed flights are on the horizon. His closing thought was pointed: 'May his story inspire the next generation to aim high, believe in their potential and turn seemingly impossible dreams into reality.'

When a country's Defence Minister invokes the cosmos as proof of what India can reach, the audience isn't just the room — it's every student who ever wondered whether a dream that big was really meant for them.