City planetarium screens Axiom-4 lift-off, schoolkids assemble to watch spectacle
Guwahati: In a bid to ignite public interest in space science, the Guwahati Planetarium hosted a live screening of the Axiom-4 launch on Wednesday. The much-anticipated event, which had faced multiple delays, drew several viewers —including dozens of school students excited to witness the spectacle.
Babul Chandra Bora, consulting scientific officer at the planetarium, said around 40-50 students attended the screening. "Our state is gradually embracing space science and technology. Events like these are important for sparking curiosity among youths. By screening the Axiom-4 launch live, we want them to understand that space exploration is no longer a distant dream — it's becoming a part of their academic and scientific journey," Bora said.
The Axiom-4 mission, supported by
NASA
and led by Axiom Space in collaboration with
SpaceX
, is part of a push to advance commercial human spaceflight. The mission uses SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, which launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft is expected to dock autonomously with the International Space Station on Thursday.
Piloting the spacecraft is India's Subhanshu Shukla — set to become the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Esse novo alarme com câmera é quase gratuito em Pérola Independente (consulte o preço)
Alarmes
Undo
Along with him are, Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, who is commanding the mission, and two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
13 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Dragon with Shukla, 3 others to dock with ISS at 4.30 pm today
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla embarked on the most consequential flight of his life Wednesday, taking off, along with three others, in the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station. This makes him only the second Indian to travel to space. A fighter pilot and test pilot with the Indian Air Force, with more than 2,000 hours of flying experience, Shukla is the designated pilot for the Crew Dragon spacecraft that took off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida exactly at noon India time. After a 28-hour journey through space, the Dragon spacecraft will dock with the International Space Station around 4.30 pm India time Thursday, allowing the four astronauts to transfer to the only permanent research laboratory in space where they will spend the next two weeks, carrying out scientific experiments and engaging in science outreach events. Shukla's feat comes 41 years after Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma — he later retired as Wing Commander — travelled to space on the then Soviet Union's Soyuz T-11 spacecraft and spent about eight days on board the Salyut 7 space station, one of the Soviet forerunners to the current International Space Station. Two other astronauts on the Axiom-4 mission, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, are also marking the return of their respective countries to space after more than four decades. For this reason, the mission has been given the theme 'Realize the Return'. The fourth astronaut, and commander of the mission, Peggy Whitson is a veteran of space travel, having made four earlier trips, with a record 675 days in space. 'What a ride. After 40 years, we are back in space. What a flight this is,' said Shukla in a short statement, 10 minutes after the launch, immediately after the spacecraft had separated from the rocket and entered an orbit around the Earth. 'Right now, we are going around the Earth at the speed of 7.5 km a second. On my shoulders is the Tiranga (Tricolour) that is telling me that I am not alone here, all of you are with me. This journey to the International Space Station is not my alone, this is the beginning of Bharat's human spaceflight programme,' Shukla said, addressing his countrymen in Hindi. 'I would like each one of you to become a part of this journey. You should also feel proud, you should also feel the excitement. Come, let us together mark the beginning of India's human spaceflight programme. Thank you. Jai Hind. Jai Bharat,' he said. Other astronauts also made similar statements. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X after the liftoff, said, 'We welcome 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 Axiom-4 mission, originally scheduled to launch in May, faced multiple delays because of weather and technical problems. A small uncertainty hung over the launch Wednesday as well, even after the astronauts had entered the capsule, as some updated data took time to get uploaded to the spacecraft's software. Shukla was seen shuffling and shaking his legs as he waited, and exulted mildly when the all-clear was announced. ISRO chairman V Narayanan who, along with a ISRO team, had been in the US since the start of this month for the launch, said he was extremely happy that the mission had finally launched after all technical problems had been addressed. 'Today, we were 100% sure about the safety of not just our own astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, but the other three brothers and sister who are going to space with him. Congratulations to all,' Narayanan told The Indian Express from the US. He said that he personally, and the team from ISRO, had been involved in the troubleshooting exercises, and had made sure that everything was fine ahead of the launch. 'If I had even 0.1% doubt, I would not have said OK to the launch,' he said. Narayanan said the spacecraft had entered a 200-km orbit, which will be raised to about 425 km over the 28-hour period before the docking takes place. The ISRO team would be travelling from the Florida launch centre to Houston, Texas to witness the docking from the command centre. Shukla was among four IAF pilots selected for the Gaganyaan programme, ISRO's maiden attempt at sending humans into space. The first human spaceflight mission under this programme was originally scheduled for 2022 to coincide with 75 years of India's independence. But the programme has faced delays, and it is now expected to take place in 2027. In the meanwhile, a new collaboration between ISRO and NASA in 2023 opened the opportunity for an Indian to travel on a private mission facilitated by NASA. This is how Shukla's participation in the Axiom-4 mission came about. The liftoff was greeted with loud cheers and clapping at the auditorium of the CSIR headquarters in New Delhi where Science Minister Jitendra Singh and many scientists and dignitaries, including Australian High Commissioner to India Philip Green, had gathered to watch the launch on video. 'This was destined to happen under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. And I am saying so because the space reforms which happened a couple of years ago have given a quantum leap to India's endeavours. Imagine, ISRO was set up in the year 1969, when NASA accomplished the landing of the first human on the Moon. Today, we have landed near the southern pole of the Moon before anyone else. And we are now collaborating with NASA as an equal partner. India is no longer a follower,' Singh said. The Axiom-4 mission is being operated and managed by Axiom Space, a private US space company. The Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon spacecraft used in the mission have come from SpaceX, the world's largest private space corporation. NASA offered access to its facilities, including the International Space Station, and training to the astronauts. Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government's management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country's space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University's Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor's Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More
Time of India
20 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘A boy once nervous about math marks makes a mark in space'
Lucknow: A boy who was once nervous about his mathematics marks is now making a mark in space. That's an incredible journey of pursuit and perseverance, recalled Nageshwar Prasad Shukla, who taught mathematics to Shubhanshu from Class 9 till 12 at City Montessori School, Aliganj campus in Lucknow. "In 2002, when Shubhanshu was in Class 12, he scored low marks in the first comparative examination and did not inform his parents about it. He was totally interested in sports in those days. One evening, he returned home after playing football and saw my bike parked. He entered his house with a nervous face assuming that I was there to complain about him," recalled Nageshwar. "I was talking to his parents about his scores. He had scored low marks in some subjects, but had the lowest marks in maths. I knew he was intelligent but, like most boys, believed in working hard only at the last moment. I motivated him and promised to give him extra time," said Nageshwar. Shubhanshu promised to put in 100% efforts and came out with flying colours in his board examinations. "This is how he is; he works hard, delivers, and makes us proud," said Nageshwar who was Shubhanshu's class teacher and teacher-guardian and made frequent home visits to keep his parents updated about their son's academic performance. "For others, his space journey is a celebration, but for me, it's both a celebration and nervousness — my student should return safely. I recall that home visit when he stood nervous on seeing me at his residence, and today I stood nervous and proud as he flew to space," he added. CMS Aliganj vice-principal Lipika Bose said, "Shubhanshu was bright and focused since school days. A good footballer and with a strong personality, he always showed the spark to do something really big." Born in Lucknow in 1985, Shubhanshu did his entire schooling from CMS Aliganj. He graduated from the National Defence Academy and was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2006. With over 2,000 hours of flight experience on elite combat aircraft, he was selected in 2019 for India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme and later chosen as the pilot for Axiom-4.
Hindustan Times
35 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘What a ride': Indian in space after 41-year gap
At 12:01PM (IST) on Wednesday, flames erupted beneath a Falcon 9 rocket at Kennedy Space Center as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla lifted off from American soil. 'Namaskar, my dear countrymen,' the Indian Air Force officer said ten minutes later, his voice crackling from orbit — the first words spoken by the second Indian in space: 'After 40 years, we have returned to space again, kya kamaal ki ride thi (what a ride this has been)'. (Above) IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (second from left) with his three crewmates — veteran US astronaut and commander Peggy Whitson, Polish engineer Sławosz Uznański and Hungarian researcher Tibor Kapu— aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft on Wednesday. (Right) The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Axiom-4 crew lifts off from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. (Space-X) The mission launched Wednesday is in stark contrast to the one that took Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma to space in 1984. While Sharma had launched from the windswept steppes of Kazakhstan, aboard a Soviet Soyuz as part of Cold War space diplomacy, Shukla rode a sleek Dragon capsule named Grace built by a private American company from the swamps of Florida. Where Sharma flew to the Soviet Salyut 7 station for a week-long mission to observe the Earth, Shukla headed to the International Space Station for a fortnight. Sharma's tasks included Earth observation—then still a matter of deep study—while Shukla carried with him 60 experiments from 31 countries. Sharma's mission had been an instrument of superpower politics; Shukla's marked a breakthrough for commercial spacefaring. Yet for all the technological and geopolitical transformation, one element remained unchanged: an Indian flag carried into orbit on an astronaut's shoulder, bearing the weight of a billion dreams. 'The Tiranga on my shoulders tells me that I am not alone and I am with all of you,' Shukla continued in Hindi as Earth rolled beneath him at 7.5km per second. 'This is not just the start of my journey to the International Space Station, but the beginning of India's human space programme, and I would like all my countrymen to be part of this journey,' said Shukla, who represents the Indian Space Research Organisation. The successful launch overcame a prolonged series of delays that had tested both technical systems and national patience. Originally scheduled for May 29, the Axiom-4 mission was put off five times due to issues ranging from technical problems with the Crew Dragon module to unfavourable weather conditions and a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon 9 rocket. The final delay came from pressure concerns in the International Space Station's Russian Zvezda service module, requiring coordination between NASA and Roscosmos before clearance was granted. The crew was in a four-week quarantine period during which they shifted their sleep regimen to adjust their circadian rhythm to match that on ISS. At Launch Complex 39A, where Apollo missions once departed for the moon, the rocket carried a crew that represented four nations returning to space after decades of absence. Commander Peggy Whitson, America's most experienced female astronaut with 675 days in space, led the mission with Shukla as pilot and specialists Sławosz Uznański from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. A toy swan named Joy accompanied them as the mission's unofficial fifth crew member and zero-gravity indicator—a nod to the bird that represents wisdom and purity in Indian culture. Hours before launch, with Dragon's hatch sealed at 10:22 AM (IST) and all communication checks completed, Axiom Space had posted on social media: 'The seats are rotated, and the AX-4 crew is ready for launch!' The crew, quarantined since May 26 in what marked one of the longest isolation periods in modern spaceflight history, had endured weeks of preparation that included underwater escape drills and emergency scenario training. Eight thousand miles away in New Delhi, scientists and officials gathered at Anusandhan Bhawan erupted in cheers after the launch. Union minister Jitendra Singh, flanked by Australian High Commissioner Philip Green and South Australia Governor Frances Adamson, distributed sweets. When Shukla's message arrived from orbit, concluding with 'Jai Hind! Jai Bharat,' the celebration intensified. In Lucknow, Shukla's mother Asha Shukla held back tears, lost for words as celebrations erupted around her. 'Everyone is happy. These are tears of joy.' 'India's ascent to the pedestal of Viksit Bharat has started via space,' Singh declared, calling the mission a vindication of space pioneers Vikram Sarabhai and Satish Dhawan under Prime Minister Modi's leadership. 'India is no longer a follower but an equal partner in all collaborations.' Prime Minister Narendra Modi, posting on social media as the mission proceeded, stated: 'The Indian astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is on the way to become the first Indian to go to International Space Station. He carries with him the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians.' The 39-year-old pilot's journey to orbit had begun in Lucknow, where he was born before joining the Indian Air Force fighter wing in June 2006. Rising to Group Captain in March 2024, Shukla accumulated 2,000 flight hours as a combat leader and test pilot. His selection under Isro's Human Spaceflight Programme led to rigorous year-long training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, Moscow, where he prepared alongside training for India's upcoming Gaganyaan programme. Hours before launch, his wife Kamna and six-year-old son Sid appeared in a pre-flight video, cheering him on with the words: 'You are our hero.' The mission also drew a message from India's first astronaut. In a video recorded before launch, Rakesh Sharma offered his blessing to the new generation: 'Greetings from India. Wishing all the very best to the crew. Godspeed and spend as much time as possible to look out of the window. Have a fun time, guys.' The mission carries scientific weight beyond its symbolic value. During their planned two-week stay aboard the ISS, the crew will conduct 60 experiments representing 31 countries. Shukla will oversee seven Indian-designed studies ranging from the impact of microgravity radiation on edible microalgae to examining the effect of microgravity on food crop seed growth. Additionally, he will undertake five ISRO-NASA collaborative experiments—research that could prove crucial for future long-duration missions and space settlements. The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS at 4:30 PM IST on June 26, following a 28-hour journey through space. The mission represents a collaborative effort between Texas-based Axiom Space, SpaceX, and NASA, marking the fourth private astronaut mission to the space station and demonstrating how commercial partnerships have transformed access to low-Earth orbit. For India's space programme, Shukla's mission serves as a crucial stepping stone toward indigenous capabilities. Former ISRO chairpersons S Somanath and K Sivan in past conversations told HT that the experience and learnings would directly benefit the Gaganyaan mission and plans for the Bharatiya Antariksh Station. The department of space has termed the mission strategically important, focusing on operational readiness and global integration as India positions itself as a serious contender in human space exploration. Singh indicated that the mission's success would accelerate legislative progress on the Space Activities Bill, which has been under development since 2017 but has yet to reach Parliament. The bill calls for greater public-private partnership in India's space programmes, reflecting the collaborative model demonstrated by the Ax-4 mission and the broader shift toward commercial space ventures. The immediate horizon holds additional milestones. Singh said the next major launch would be the Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar mission, originally planned for February but now expected 'anytime soon this year' following technical adjustments. The NISAR mission will measure Earth's changing ecosystems, dynamic surfaces, and ice masses, providing crucial data on biomass, natural hazards, sea level rise, and groundwater across the planet with observations every six days for a baseline three-year mission. Further ahead lies Gaganyaan, India's independent human spaceflight programme, and the complex Chandrayaan-4 mission featuring docking operations planned for 2028. Both are part of India's broader ambitions in space, from lunar exploration to establishing a sustainable human presence in orbit through its planned space station.
