Little Soft Toy To Be Onboard As ‘The Fifth Astronaut’ With India’s Shubhanshu Shukla In Axiom-4 Mission

New Delhi: Many people become attached to their favourite things for multiple reasons, often rooted in psychology or personal history. These attachments can stem from a sense of identity, comfort, and even a need for security.

But have you ever thought of someone taking a tiny plush toy on a space mission? Isn’t it amusing—Well! Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will carry a tiny plush toy on the Axiom-4 mission.

The tiny plush toy is a white swan that is set to become the zero-gravity indicator for the international mission. Apart from its fluffy exterior and adorable features, it carries a huge meaning.

The little swan is named Joy, which is a five-inch toy, the emotional heart of the mission, a soft, floating symbol of shared culture, collaboration, and childlike wonder.

The tradition of flying a toy to mark the moment gravity gives way to weightlessness began with Yuri Gagarin, and since then, it’s a beloved ritual in space missions. These zero-G indicators are often cute, but these toys are always chosen with care just like Joy.

Astronaut Shabhashu Shukla considered the swan because of the cultural values. As in Indian mythology, it’s the sacred vehicle of Goddess Saraswati, the deity of wisdom. The swan possesses the mythical ability to separate the milk from the water, which symbolises discernment, purity and wisdom, which well aligns with all three that the mission requires.

As every crew member comes from a different country, such as India, Hungary, Poland and the USA. The swan resonates with all of them as it represents elegance, unity, strength and grace.

One of the space mission’s astronauts, Tibor Kapu from Hungary, suggested the name Joy, capturing the shared spirit of the mission and the emotional lift-off symbolises.

When the gravity is gone and the spacecraft reaches orbit, Joy will float out freely, which will be a signal for the crew that gravity is officially ended. 

Commander Peggy Whitson, a veteran astronaut from the US, said, “Joy celebrates our differences, but also what brings us together—our passion for space, and our belief in something greater than ourselves.”

Axiom Mission 4 (Axe-4) is a private spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS) operated by Axiom Space, in collaboration with SpaceX and NASA. The mission was scheduled for launch on June 22, 2025, which was later postponed to June 25, 2025. The mission will utilise a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and a Falcon 9 rocket.