FLORIDA: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force (IAF) created history on Wednesday (June 25) by becoming the first Indian astronaut to travel as a Pilot to the International Space Station (ISS).
NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX launched the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4.
Piloted by India’s Shubhanshu Shukla, the spacecraft lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 2.30am EDT (0630 GMT) on Wednesday (June 25).
After launching on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket, the crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is heading to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 Mission.
”Mission to International Space Station (ISS): Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla to carry out 7 exclusive microgravity experiments during the Mission,” Union Minister Jitendra Singh said in his post on X.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force is among the four-member multi-country crew of Ax-4 that will be spending two weeks on the ISS.
The human spaceflight mission, Axiom 4, is a feat for space development for India, Hungary, and Poland.
Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and will command the Axiom-4 mission.
India’s Shubhanshu Shukla, representing ISRO, will serve as the pilot, joined by mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, both representing the European Space Agency.
Separately, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on his historic journey to space as part of the Axiom-4 mission.
In a post on X, Modi welcomed the successful launch of the space mission carrying astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland, and the US.
“The Indian Astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is on the way to become the first Indian to go to the International Space Station. He carries with him the wishes, hopes, and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians. Wish him and other astronauts all the success!” the PM said.
Shukla, who is the Group Captain in the Indian Air Force, is the first Indian astronaut to travel as a Pilot to the International Space Station (ISS) and only the second Indian after Rakesh Sharma in 1984 to travel to space.
The four-member crew, which has been in quarantine in Florida, is commanded by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and now Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight.
Describing the launch of Axiom4Mission piloted by IAF’s Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as a proud moment for the nation, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said this heralds the ascent of India to the pedestal of Viksit Bharat.
”This heralds the ascent of India to the pedestal of Viksit Bharat,” the minister said in his post on X.
"Congratulations, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla — you are the first Indian Astronaut 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," the post said.
Dr Jitendra Singh, Australian High Commissioner to India, Philip Green, Frances Adamson, Governor of South Australia, and others shared sweets to celebrate the launch of the Mission.
Indian Air Force tweeted, “From conquering the skies to touching the stars- a journey powered by the indomitable spirit of the IAF Air Warrior. Group Captain Shubahanshu Shukla sets forth on a landmark Space Mission, carrying the pride of the nation beyond Earth. This is a dèjà-vu moment for India, 41 years after the mission of Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma, who first carried our Tricolour beyond Earth. Being more than a mission, it is a reaffirmation of India’s ever-expanding horizon.”
The crew, piloted by Shukla will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 7am EDT on Thursday (June 26) or 4pm IST.
The Ax-4 mission will “realise the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While Ax-4 marks these countries’ second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station.
For Group Captain Shukla, this will be an opportunity to emulate fellow Indian Air Force Officer Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on 3 April 1984 as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme. - The Statesman/ANN
