An Indian's Back In Space, India Ready To Follow
An Indian's Back In Space, India Ready To Follow
Chethan Kumar
TNN
Jun 25, 2025, 21:30 IST IST
Rakesh Sharma's 1984 spaceflight with the Soviets didn't lead to a manned space programme, but this time Gaganyaan's in the works and Shukla's learnings will come in handy
Around noon yesterday, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla hurtled skywards aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center. He's expected to reach his final destination – International Space Station (ISS) – today evening.
Shukla is only the second Indian to leave Earth's bounds. The first, of course, was Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma in 1984, who replied ' Saare jahan se achha ' when PM Indira Gandhi asked how India looked from space.
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The Print
25 minutes ago
- The Print
Space travel alters world view, helps to understand value of planet Earth, says Rakesh Sharma
Sharma had spent eight days in orbit in the erstwhile Soviet Union's Salyut-7 space station in 1984. He shared his thoughts in a recorded podcast shared by the Ministry of Defence on a day India returned to space after 41 years, as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla from India and three other astronauts set forth on a landmark space odyssey on Wednesday. New Delhi, Jun 25 (PTI) Astronaut Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to journey into space in 1984, says space travel alters the mindset of humans and makes them see the world from a perspective that 'this planet belongs to everyone' and not a sole preserve of anyone. Shukla scripted history by embarking on space travel, along with three others from the US, Poland and Hungary, to the International Space Station as part of a commercial mission by Axiom Space. In the podcast released tonight, Sharma, who had famously said, 'Sare Jehan se Acha…' during his time in the orbit, said he was a test pilot in the Indian Air Force when the selection happened. He later retired as wing commander from the IAF. 'Because I was a test pilot when the selection happened.. that time, I was young, I was fit, and I had the qualification, so I was lucky enough to have been chosen. Then, after selection, we moved to Star City, just outside Moscow, for our training. The training went on for 18 months, which culminated into the Indo-Soviet spaceflight in 1984. It was an eight-day mission, and we carried out experiments which were designed by Indian scientists,' he said. Sharma recalled that the entire training, and communication with crew members and mission control while they were in orbit, was in Russian. 'We had to learn the language before we started training, and that was not easy because of paucity of time. So, we took about two months to learn the language,' he said. While the Indo-Soviet spaceflight took place in an analogue era when very few owned a television, the Axiom-4 mission lift-off was watched by people on TV screens and mobile phones live across the globe. After multiple delays, Elon Musk's SpaceX launch vehicle with Crew Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon-9 rocket blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:01 pm (IST) carrying mission pilot Shukla, former NASA astronaut Commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Tibor Kapu of Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland. 'Kamaal ki ride thi (It was an amazing ride),' Shukla said 10 minutes after the Dragon spacecraft was placed in orbit around the Earth at an altitude of 200 km as part of the Axiom Mission 4(Ax-4). In the podcast, Sharma, when asked how he felt watching the world and India from space, exclaimed, 'Oh dear! Beautiful.' 'In our country, we got everything: we got a long coastline, we got the ghats section, we got plains, we got tropical forests, we got mountains, Himalayas. It's a beautiful sight, different colours, different textures,' he said. Sharma said in space, days and nights are very unusual, as sunrises and sunsets happen at an interval of just 45 minutes. He said while space travel technology has changed, 'as humans we haven't changed much'. 'The mental impact will always be there because humans will be able to get a different perspective. It does kind of alter the world view… (shows) the vast place in universe,' the veteran astronaut said. It changes the mindset, he emphasised. The IAF, in a post on X, said Shukla has set forth on a landmark space mission, carrying the pride of the nation beyond Earth. It also said, '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 reaffirmation of India's ever-expanding horizon.' Asked about the future of Indian space travel, Sharma said, 'We will be going farther and farther from planet Earth.' 'We really need to preserve what we have, which means we need to end conflicts, we need to forget about our weapons….this planet belongs to everyone, it is not a sole preserve,' he underlined. On a more generic note, Sharma said space exploration will 'keep marching ahead'. 'I am hoping that India will be a modern leader in the years to come, and India will succeed in its (space) mission, which I am quite confident we will,' he said. Sharma said after his return from the mission, he went back to the Indian Air Force. 'And after few years, I moved to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited as their chief test pilot,' he said, and recalled his association with the evolution of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) 'Tejas'. PTI KND AMJ AMJ This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
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Tadoba tigers gorge on flying squirrels, mongoose but sambar remains top pick
1 2 Nagpur: From flying squirrels to wild mongoose, and from sloth bear to hare, tigers in Tadoba have gorged on a variety of prey, with sambar being their top pick. A study conducted by researchers from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, and officials of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) revealed that the diet of tigers in the buffer zone consists of almost 23% domestic animals. The study examined scat samples in TATR during three different seasons. Samples were collected during the monsoon (September-October 2022), winter (January-February 2023), and summer (May-June 2023) to study the diet patterns of tigers, leopards, and dhole (wild dogs). For tigers, sambar was the most preferred prey, followed by wild boar and chital. For leopards, wild boar was the top choice, followed by sambar. For wild dogs, sambar and chital were equally preferred, followed by wild hare. The study, led by principal investigators from NCBS Uma Ramakrishnan and Abhinav Tyagi, found 16 species in the tiger diet in TATR from 143 samples. The study revealed that overall, 90% of the tiger's diet comprised a wild prey. When breaking it down by areas, wild prey constituted 99% of the tiger's diet is in the core and around 77% in the buffer. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo There were some minor shifts in diet patterns according to seasons found in the study. In the monsoon season, grey langur and jungle fowl were uniquely identified, whereas Indian peafowl and buffalo were observed in the winter diet of tigers. During the summer months, grey jungle fowl and grey mongoose appeared as distinct dietary components. However, gaur and Indian hare were notably absent from the summer scat samples. For leopards, researchers recorded the highest dietary diversity in winter, identifying 21 different prey species in leopard scat samples. This was followed by the monsoon season, with 14 species, while the lowest diversity was observed in summer, with just 12 species detected. In winter, the leopard's diet included species such as civets, porcupine, grey junglefowl, chicken, and buffalo—species that were not found in samples from other seasons. The monsoon diet featured unique bird species, including Indian peafowl, buttonquail, and pond heron, in addition to other prey commonly consumed throughout the year. A marked increase in the consumption of cattle, langur, and nilgai was observed during the summer, indicating a possible seasonal shift in prey availability or preference.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
NDA basks in glory of alumni as astronauts who inspire new space chapters
Pune: The National Defence Academy (NDA)'s legacy saw a new chapter with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla flying aboard the Axiom-4 mission on Wednesday, after the groundbreaking journey of Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma — the first Indian to travel to space on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in 1984. NDA Commandant Vice-Admiral Gurucharan Singh described the moment as "To space with glory". He told TOI on Wednesday, "The NDA continues to groom future leaders of our Armed Forces and make India Saare Jahaan se Accha in its true sense. His (Shukla's) mission will certainly inspire our cadets, whom we groom and train to face tough challenges and new frontiers." He said, "The NDA, the cradle of leadership of the Indian Armed Forces, adds another feather to its glorious past and also brings glory to our nation's quest of conquering uncharted territory." You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Former astronaut and NDA alumnus Air Commodore (retd) Ravish Malhotra, who was the standby astronaut for Sharma, told TOI from the UK, "It is a very proud moment for the country and for us all to witness a second Indian go into space. Group Captain Shukla is carrying with him the aspirations, blessings and good wishes of the entire nation." He said, "A new chapter is being carved in Indian space exploration and our endeavours to conquer space. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like A severe blood disorder has put her life at risk! Donate For Health Donate Now Undo It is after 40 years that India sent its second astronaut into space. I would like to congratulate the Isro team, who worked hard to train our four astronauts, including Shukla." Malhotra, who met Shukla in Bengaluru last year, said, "Shukla rightly pointed out that his mission is a precursor to our own Gaganyaan mission slated for 2027, and his experience will be very valuable for our human space programme. It is the first time that an Indian astronaut is going up to the ISS and will be conducting experiments. He will be a pioneer, leading the way for other Indians to follow his example and achievements. " NDA honours the bravery of their alumni by giving names to its blocks. One of them has been named Rakesh Sharma Block. It houses departments of computer science, economics, geography and political science. Group Captain Shukla is from the 108th course of the NDA. He is from the Hunter squadron, known for rigorous physical training. Shukla was commissioned on June 17, 2006, in the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force (IAF). He is a Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) and a test pilot with approximately 2,000 hours of flying experience. He flew a variety of aircraft, including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier and An-32. His NDA coursemates describe him as a cool and passionate air warrior. Shukla's NDA coursemate and Commanding Officer of IAF's aerobatic Surya Kiran team, Group Captain Ajay Dasarathi, in a special video message said, "From the skies of India to the frontiers of space, the Surya Kiran team wishes you the best for the mission ahead. Your journey from the blue skies of India to the boundless expanse of space fills us with immense pride. " "Fly high and blaze the trail. Always an air warrior, now a space pioneer. You are an inspiration to every Indian. The entire Surya Kiran team is cheering for you, with hearts full of admiration and respect. May your mission be smooth, your vision be clear, and your return be safe and glorious. Touch the sky and beyond with glory," he added.
