Why will it take Shubhanshu 28 hours to reach ISS which is 400 km away from Earth?
IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's journey to International Space Station (ISS), 400 km away from Earth, will take around 28 hours due to complex orbital mechanics. Dragon spacecraft he's piloting doesn't travel straight up. It launches into lower initial orbit, then performs multiple engine burns over several hours to adjust altitude and phase to match ISS's orbit and speed safely.