NEW DELHI: On his 12th day at the ISS on Tuesday, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla spoke directly with students from seven schools in Meghalaya and Assam via Ham radio. The session was held at the North East Space Applications Centre (NESAC) in Shillong.“Many of you can become future astronauts, even walk on the Moon,” Shubhanshu Shukla told a bunch of excited school students. The students had submitted 20 questions, and Shukla answered as many as he could in the 10-minute communication window. He talked about life in space, astronaut training, and staying healthy in a weightless environment. “You don’t follow the Sun on the ISS. We see 16 sunrises and sunsets every day as we circle the Earth every 90 minutes. But our schedule runs on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT),” he explained. He said the body faces many changes in microgravity. “We grow up with gravity on Earth, but in space, our muscles and bones weaken without it. So, we exercise daily using treadmills, cycling machines, and strength equipment. It’s vital for staying fit here and for returning safely to Earth.” Shukla also said he experienced space sickness at first but adapted quickly with the help of medication. On the importance of astronaut training, he said, “We train for all kinds of emergency situations. It involves long preparation in India, Russia, and other partner countries. Teamwork and support are key.” He also spoke about how robotics and artificial intelligence help astronauts carry out tasks safely. “Robotic arms are used for both internal and external work—they help us a lot.” Students from the Army Public School (Shillong and Umroi), Alpha Higher Secondary School (Nongpoh), ARYA Vidyapith High School (Guwahati), The Christ Senior Secondary School (Umiam), PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya (Barapani), and B K Bajoria School (Shillong) took part in the interaction.