New Delhi: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has shared a video showing lightning flashes illuminating Earth from space, describing the spectacular sight as nature's own fireworks. The footage, recorded during his historic journey aboard the International Space Station in June 2025, offers a remarkable view of thunderstorms from above the planet.
Shukla shared the video on social media on November 6, 2026, during the Dhanteras celebrations ahead of Diwali. Along with the footage, he posted a personal message explaining his lifelong fondness for the festival and its lights and fireworks.
He compared the flashes of lightning seen from space to nature's own fireworks and extended his wishes to people celebrating Dhanteras.
The video shows bright flashes of lightning illuminating clouds over Earth against the darkness below. From the International Space Station, astronauts can observe thunderstorms from an unusual perspective, offering views that are rarely experienced by people on the ground.
The footage was recorded during Axiom Mission 4, also known as Ax 4, in which Shukla served as the pilot. The mission marked an important moment in India's space exploration history, as he became the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station.
The mission was organised by Axiom Space in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX. It launched on June 25, 2025, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon spacecraft.
Shukla travelled with three other astronauts. Peggy Whitson of the United States commanded the mission, while Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary served as mission specialists.
The spacecraft reached the International Space Station on June 26, 2025. During their stay aboard the station, the astronauts conducted scientific experiments and other activities. The mission concluded with their return to Earth on July 15, 2025.
During the mission, Shukla participated in seven scientific experiments developed by Indian research institutions. These included studies involving microalgae, plant seeds and microorganisms to examine how living organisms respond to the conditions of microgravity.
His journey also carried wider significance for India's human spaceflight ambitions. Before Shukla, Indian Air Force officer Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to travel into space in 1984. Shukla's visit to the International Space Station marked another important step in the country's efforts to expand its human spaceflight programme.
Lightning is an electrical discharge that occurs when electrical charges build up within storm clouds. It can take place between clouds or between a cloud and the ground. From the International Space Station, astronauts can observe these flashes from above, sometimes seeing large storm systems spread across the planet.
NASA has documented several observations of lightning photographed by astronauts aboard the space station. Such images and observations can provide scientists with useful information about thunderstorms and the behaviour of Earth's atmosphere.
Shukla's video has brought renewed attention to the extraordinary views astronauts experience during their journeys around Earth. Although the footage was recorded during his 2025 mission, its release ahead of Diwali has given it a special connection with the festival of lights.
For Shukla, the sight was more than an impressive view from space. It brought together his personal love of Diwali and the experience of witnessing one of nature's most striking displays from above the planet.