Shubhanshu has lifted India's aspirations to new heights, says Rajnath Singh
Axiom-4 crew return highlights
Group Captain Shukla, along with his three crew members of the Axiom-4 mission, returned from the International Space Station (ISS) after their 20-day space odyssey.
'Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's successful return from the historic Axiom-4 mission is a proud moment for every Indian. He has not just touched space, he has lifted India's aspirations to new heights,' Mr. Singh wrote on X.
'His journey to the International Space Station and back is not just a personal milestone, it is a proud stride for India's growing space ambitions. Wishing him great success in his future endeavours,' he said.
Mr. Singh, a Lok Sabha member from Lucknow, spoke to Mr. Shukla's father on the phone to convey his greetings and told him that the country was proud of his son's achievements.
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Time of India
20 minutes ago
- Time of India
Shubhanshu Shukla returns safely, next mission: Helping Gaganyaan
Shubhanshu Shukla returns safely, next mission: Helping Gaganyaan (Picture credit: AP) With Grace's gentle splash into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at 3.02 pm (IST) on Tuesday, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla (Shux) ended his mission, wrapping up months of training, experiments in orbit, and India's latest stride in human spaceflight participation. When Wing Commander (retd) Rakesh Sharma soared into space aboard a Soviet spacecraft in April 1984, Shux wasn't even born. It would be another year and a half before he entered the world. Forty-one years later, Shux's Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission comes at a time India is making a deeper entry into human spaceflight, expanding ambitions beyond satellites and rockets. And this hasn't escaped Shux, who in his last speech from the International Space Station (ISS), had said: 'As this journey completes… India's human spaceflight journey is both long and challenging. But I assure you, if we decide, even the stars are attainable.' PM Modi, while welcoming Shux back, said as India's first astronaut to the ISS, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage and pioneering spirit. '...It marks another milestone towards our own Human Space Flight Mission - Gaganyaan ,' the PM said. Re-entry & splashdown Grace, the Dragon capsule carrying Shux, mission commander Peggy Whitson, mission specialists Tibor Kapu and Slawosz Uznanski, had undocked from the ISS at 4.45 pm Monday. As part of the re-entry and splashdown operations, around 2.07 pm on Tuesday, Grace began the 18-minute de-orbit burn, and by 2.27 pm, Grace jettisoned the trunk (with solar panels and radiators), and the nose cone was closed by 2.33 pm. Around 2.57 pm, Grace deployed the drogue parachutes and about a minute later, the four main parachutes got deployed at an altitude of 1,000 metres. In a three-minute operation, these parachutes together reduced Grace's velocity from 563kmph to 23kmph as altitude dropped to 800m, 600m and 400m, before the splashdown. Recovery operations At 3.07 pm, Peggy radioed to mission control that the crew was ready for recovery and by 3.10 pm, the recovery boats reached Grace. The recovery personnel, wearing PPE suits, first checked for hazardous gases around Grace before beginning rigging the capsule at 3.15 pm, as flight surgeons stood by for the initial medical tests to be conducted. Between 3.29 pm and 3.30 pm, Grace was nested on recovery ship 'Shannon', when the recovery teams began some routine leak checks and de-rigging and ensured it was safe for the crew to egress or exit from the side hatch. By 3.37 pm Grace was being moved from its initial place on Shannon to a deck where the crew was expected to be recovered. Between 3.40 pm and 3.41 pm, the recovery personnel opened the side hatch and began preparations to allow the crew to egress. At 3.49 pm, Peggy slid out of the capsule with a smile, followed by Shux at 5.52 pm and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski and Tibor Kapu in the next couple of minutes. The crew was then taken to land by a helicopter. Following medical checks, they will be taken to Houston for de-briefing and other procedures. Learning For Gaganyaan Just as Shux, Isro too has acknowledged the importance of the mission that has cost India Rs 548 crore. '...Ax-4 is one small step in orbit, but a giant leap in India's pursuit of human spaceflight and scientific discovery,' the agency had said post-launch. Isro chairman V Narayanan, while stressing that learning outcomes — spanning astronaut training (for two), mission operations, and hardware-software-human interface — cannot be measured purely in monetary terms, had told TOI that benefits from Ax-4 far outweigh the cost. Indian Space Association director-general Lt Gen (retd) AK Bhatt said: 'This is a stepping stone for India's future crewed space journeys, including Gaganyaan and goals of landing an Indian on the Moon by 2040. It'll not only support Isro but also give impetus to both global and Indian private space industries.' Satcom Industries Association-India president Subba Rao Pavuluri, echoing Bhatt's views, said: '...While our ancestors explored Planets with intuition, we'll be exploring planets with experimentation and going there. Shukla's mission is the first step to realise 'Bharat's Space ambitions' .'
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Shubhanshu Shukla's mission validates India's astronaut selection & training: Former IAM chief
BENGALURU: For the first time, India's astronaut training protocols are being tested and validated in real space conditions, said Air Vice Marshal Anupam Agarwal, former Commandant of the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), which is responsible for selecting and preparing Gaganyaan astronaut-designates. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In an exclusive interview to TOI, Agarwal, who was an air commodore when he helmed IAM, described Group Captain 's (Shux) current mission to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission as a critical milestone for India's human spaceflight efforts. 'The entire aerospace medicine process, physiological and psychological selection, is being validated. Not only was he selected well, but also the test standards we developed, the procedures we followed, the psychological selection methods, everything is now being put through a real microgravity test,' Agarwal said. 'It is a fulfilling feeling,' he added. IAM's involvement in astronaut screening goes beyond selection. It collects extensive baseline medical and physiological data before a mission. According to Agarwal, this data is now central to studying how microgravity affects Indian astronauts. 'Changes, if any, will be compared with the kind of changes we expect in microgravity. We will study those extensively and try to determine whether our methods for collecting and interpreting baseline data were correct. This will bolster the entire process.' Agarwal said India's limited past exposure to human spaceflight made missions like Shukla's especially important. 'This is extremely complicated and many developed nations have attempted it and were unable to achieve it. For us, international exposure is the best thing that could happen to this programme.' He added that knowledge about human spaceflight is often not openly shared in literature and can only be gained through experience. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'If we want success, we must learn fast, learn accurately and learn what's relevant.' Looking ahead to Gaganyaan and future Indian space missions, Agarwal said IAM's role will be critical. 'The aerospace medicine specialists are to the human what the engineers are to the spacecraft. They help design the human-use products, the man-machine interface, the safety of crew, acoustic, visual, vibration and acceleration standards, clothing, hygiene products and so on.' Reflecting on his personal experience of selecting India's first set of astronaut-designates, Agarwal said shortlisting Shukla was a memorable moment for him and his team. 'We agreed that we have been extremely lucky in life. The selection process allowed us to meet some of the brightest, most intelligent and professionally sound humans in the country. Shux is one of them. How many people have this opportunity? It was, is and will remain an excellent experience to meet Shux.'
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Shubhanshu Shukla's success will ignite young minds, says Kerala CM
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday lauded the success of the Axiom Mission 4 and the achievement of Indian Air Force pilot and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who travelled to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission and returned to Earth on Tuesday. 'A defining chapter in India's space research, Group Captain #ShubhanshuShukla has completed his mission aboard the @Space_Station, returning to Earth after nearly three weeks as part of the @Axiom_Space #Ax4 crew,' he said in a statement posted on X. 'He is the first Indian to reach the Space Station. His achievement reflects the spirit of India and the boundless potential of our space ambitions. It will ignite aspirations among countless young minds across the nation,' he said.
