Meet Joy: The Space Swan Toy Flying To Space With Indian Astronaut, Axiom-4 Crew
Each member of the four-person international crew contributed to selecting the swan as a unifying cultural symbol.
Every time astronauts take off into space, they have some companions with them. This time, it's a cute swan soft toy named Joy. But mind you, Joy isn't just a comfort toy — it has a very important task ahead. It will serve as the Axiom-4 crew mission's zero-gravity indicator.
During a recent pre-flight virtual press conference, the Axiom-4 crew unveiled Joy as their mission's zero-gravity indicator — a traditional token carried onboard by astronauts to visually signal the moment the spacecraft reaches orbit and enters weightlessness.
The Axiom-4 mission was originally scheduled for launch on May 29. It was subsequently rescheduled to June 8 and is now confirmed for June 10 at 5:52 pm IST. Axiom Space confirmed the new schedule during the virtual media briefing, citing readiness of the rocket being delayed due to weather conditions.
What's So Special About Joy?
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla holding 'Joy' at the pre-flight virtual press conference. (Photo Source: Axiom Space)
While Joy has an important task during the flight, it also has a unifying cultural symbol. Each member of the four-person international crew contributed to selecting the swan as a unifying cultural symbol.
For Indian astronaut and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, it carries deep religious and philosophical significance. It broadly represents the vehicle on which the Hindu goddess of knowledge, Saraswati, travels. Joy is white in colour like a swan and has a black and yellow beak and is the size of one's palm
Shukla will become only the second Indian to fly into space, 41 years after Rakesh Sharma's 1984 mission aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11. Shukla said: "I call upon every 'Bharatvasi' to join us, participate, engage and dream boldly about the future."
"Swan is believed to have the rare ability to separate milk from water, representing purity, wisdom and grace. Carrying this symbol reminds me of the delicate balance between knowledge and pressure, and it keeps me grounded in the values I hold dear. I feel inspired, fully prepared and confident as I embark on this journey," Shukla said.
He also becomes the first Indian citizen to participate in an international, commercially funded human spaceflight mission involving scientific experiments co-developed with multiple Indian agencies.
"The doll will float freely inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule as a marker of microgravity for cameras and the crew. More than just a companion, Joy will signal our arrival in microgravity shortly after launch. Joy represents the shared aspirations of three nations united in their return to human space flight," said astronaut Peggy Whitson, the commander of the Axiom Mission, which is also referred to as Mission Akash Ganga.
"The swan is rich in cultural symbolism, stands for wisdom in India, resilience in Poland, and grace in Hungary. Through Joy, we'll celebrate our diversity and our unity in the shared journey of space exploration," Whitson added.
