New Delhi, June 25 Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s journey to the International Space Station is a stepping-stone for Gaganyaan -- India's human spaceflight mission on Wednesday.
After 41 years, India now will have an astronaut in space. Shukla will also be the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma's flight in 1984.
Shukla’s flight launched at 2:31 a.m. EDT (12 noon IST), from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket.
"Shubhanshu Shukla’s mission to the space station is crucial for India as we have been preparing for the Gaganyaan mission for quite some time. Four astronauts have undergone advanced training for the mission, first in Russia and then in Bengaluru. Now, with Shukla’s space experiments, we will get enriched knowledge for Gaganyaan," R.C. Kapoor, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics and space expert, told IANS.
"We are proud and happy to see Shubhanshu Shukla become the second Indian to travel to space, this time as part of the Axiom-4 Mission. This journey is a testament to the growing global footprint of India in space exploration and is a stepping-stone to what we want to achieve with Gaganyaan, our own indigenous human spaceflight programme,” said Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (retd.), Director General, Indian Space Association (ISpA).
The expert noted that the Gaganyaan mission is in the final stages of preparation and slated for launch in 2027.
"Congratulations Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, you are the first Indian Astronaut set to embark on a mission to the International Space Station. Indeed, a proud moment for India! ISRO’s growing global collaborations, after the reforms introduced by the government headed by PM Narendra Modi have placed India as a frontline nation in Space exploration," said Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology in a post on X.
Shukla is serving as the pilot of the mission alongside Commander Peggy Whitson of the US.
The other crew members include Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, both serving as mission specialists.
“A historic moment! Wishing Group Captain #ShubhanshuShukla great success on his mission to the International Space Station 140 crore dreams soar with you into space! Best wishes to you and your crew members,” Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, added in a post on X.
The IAF Group Captain Shukla said that the space mission is the journey of India's human space flight.
"This is not my journey alone, but I am carrying the Indian flag with me, and this is the journey of India's human space flight," Shukla said, onboard the flight.
“India is returning to space, Jai Hind,” Shukla wrote on X, just before the launch of the mission.
“After 41 years, India's flag will fly in space again,” he added.
Shukla is serving as the pilot of the mission alongside Commander Peggy Whitson of the US.
The other crew members include Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, both serving as mission specialists. The docking is scheduled at the orbital outpost's space-facing port on the Harmony module at 4:30 pm IST on Thursday.
Once aboard the ISS, Shukla will conduct a fortnight of scientific research related to food and space nutrition and will also study the effects of microgravity and space radiation on edible microalgae -- a nutrient-rich, high-potential food source for future space missions.
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