Centre releases list of MPs to brief partner nations on Operation Sindoor
ISRO's 101st mission encountered a technical glitch during the launch of EOS-09 satellite aboard PSLV-C61. The first two stages of the launch were normal, but a fault occurred in the third stage. The ISRO chief stated that they will analyse what went wrong. Space scientist PK Ghosh commented that while it's an unfortunate incident, it should not be seen as a major setback, emphasising that ISRO has had minimal setbacks compared to other space agencies.
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Mint
3 hours ago
- Mint
Axiom-4 Mission launch gets postponed to 11 June due to bad weather
Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to the International Space Station (ISS), which includes Indian Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla onboard, and was supposed to lift off on June 10, has now been pushed to June 11 due to adverse weather conditions, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Monday. The mission crew include India's Indian Air Force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, along with three other crew members. The Axiom-4 mission was supposed to be launched from LC-39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre on 10 June at 8.22 am ET. Dr. V Narayanan, Chairman of ISRO, Secretary of the Department of Space, and Chairman of the Space Commission, confirmed the postponement via a post through ISRO's X account. 'Due to weather conditions, the launch of Axiom-4 mission for sending Indian Gaganyatri to the International Space Station is postponed from 10th June 2025 to 11th June 2025," reads the post. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh also posted about the postponement of the Axiom-4 mission. 'Due to adverse weather, the launch of the Axiom-4 mission carrying Indian Gaganyatri to the International Space Station is rescheduled from June 10 to possibly June 11, 2025. Further updates, if any, will be shared accordingly,' Dr Jitendra Singh posted on X. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to become the second Indian in space and the first to visit the International Space Station. He will pilot the Axiom Mission-4, scheduled for launch aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on June 11, alongside crewmates from the US, Hungary, and Poland. The Axiom-4 mission aims to carry out 60 experiments with a four-member crew. These include seven experiments that have been planned by ISRO and five others in which Shukla will participate as part of NASA's human research programme.
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
To infinity and beyond: 10 books on space that will change how you see the universe
As India prepares to send Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station, a landmark moment in the country's celestial journey, the spotlight returns to our age-old fascination with the stars. Sixty years after Yuri Gagarin first orbited Earth, and four decades since Rakesh Sharma famously looked down and said 'Saare Jahan Se Achha', the cosmos continues to captivate. From the precision of Chandrayaan-3's lunar touchdown to the pioneering Mars Orbiter Mission, ISRO has joined the ranks of the world's premier space agencies. If you're inspired by this new chapter in Indian spaceflight—or simply curious about what lies beyond the sky—these seven books blend memoir, science, history, and imagination to launch readers into the extraordinary realms of space exploration. Why read it: In Beyond, Stephen Walker resurrects a forgotten Soviet morning in April 1961 when a young pilot named Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth. The masterful narrative reconstructs the 108 minutes that changed history aboard Vostok 1. But this is no dry historical chronicle, it's a cinematic retelling, drawn from declassified Soviet documents and firsthand testimonies, that captures the frantic, secretive race to beat America to space. From the tension-ridden corridors of Sergei Korolev's covert design bureau to Gagarin's near-fatal re-entry, the book makes for a compelling read. As India eyes its own crewed spaceflights, Gagarin's journey reminds us that sending a human into orbit is as much an act of geopolitical theatre as of scientific courage. Why read it: In this genre-bending work of narrative science, astrophysicist and folklorist Moiya McTier gives literal voice to the galaxy we call home. Speaking in the first person, the Milky Way narrates its own history with equal parts wit, wisdom, and cosmological clarity. McTier blends frontier astrophysics (black holes, stellar death, dark matter) with global creation myths, inviting the reader into a dialogue between science and storytelling. For Indian readers raised on celestial mythology, from Chandra to Rahu, this book provides a uniquely resonant cosmic perspective. Why read it: Mars has long fired the human imagination, and planetary scientist Sarah Stewart Johnson brings both rigour and reverence to its study. Interweaving personal memoir with planetary science, Johnson traces humankind's evolving obsession with the Red Planet—from Victorian fantasies of Martian canals to the robotic rovers of today. A standout feature is her fieldwork in Earth's own Martian analogues, from Antarctica's Dry Valleys to Australia's salt flats, where she hones tools to detect extraterrestrial life. The book is a poetic ode to exploration, perseverance, and scientific hope. 4. The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield Why read it: Astronaut-turned-author Chris Hadfield's gripping debut is part techno-thriller, part Cold War drama, and all grounded in authentic spaceflight detail. Set in an alternate 1973 where the Apollo 18 mission is secretly revived, The Apollo Murders throws the reader into a taut espionage plot orbiting the Moon. With Soviet saboteurs, rogue satellites, and astronauts navigating both political and physical peril, this is fiction steeped in real astronaut experience. Hadfield captures the claustrophobia of capsule life and the terrifying vastness of lunar space with unflinching precision. 5. A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman by Lindy Elkins-Tanton Why read it: What compels a woman to pursue planetary science while navigating trauma, sexism, and self-doubt? Lindy Elkins-Tanton's memoir answers the question with grace. As the principal investigator of NASA's Psyche mission, set to explore a metal-rich asteroid that may unlock secrets of planetary formation, Elkins-Tanton is a scientist of extraordinary achievement. Yet her personal journey, from a childhood of abuse to the male-dominated halls of academia, is just as compelling. Indian readers, especially women in STEM, will find inspiration in her resilience. 6. The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein Why read it: Theoretical physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein confronts the inequities embedded in modern science, while celebrating the profound beauty of the cosmos. One of the few Black women to earn a PhD in physics, she brings a radical clarity to the politics of knowledge. She moves fluidly from quantum chromodynamics to Star Trek, from the physics of melanin to the injustice of underrepresentation. For Indian readers reckoning with caste, gender, and access in science, Prescod-Weinstein offers both a critique and a vision: a more inclusive future in which everyone owns the night sky. 7. Back to Earth by Nicole Stott Why read it: Nicole Stott has seen Earth from above—and returned changed. In Back to Earth, the retired NASA astronaut reflects on what orbiting the planet taught her about connection, sustainability, and collective responsibility. This is not a technical memoir but a guide for planetary stewardship, drawn from spaceflight's unique vantage point. Stott explores biodiversity, climate resilience, and the ethics of interdependence. She points out that we are all crewmates on a fragile spaceship called Earth. 8. Space: The India Story by Dinesh C Sharma As a developing nation once seen as an 'underdog,' India has led the space research race with remarkable frugality and innovation, carving a stellar place in the global space community. This book traces six decades of India's journey in space exploration, from grappling with poverty and hunger to becoming a global leader in space research. Highlighting milestones such as the Chandrayaan-3 mission—which cost half as much as the film Oppenheimer—and the ambitious Gaganyaan mission, the narrative blends science and history. It celebrates the unsung heroes of Indian space research, their trials, and triumphs, making Space a compelling and inspiring account of India's cosmic journey. 9. To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Lindsey Nyx Walker From the world's most celebrated astrophysicist comes an illustrated, witty, and engaging narrative that explores the universe from the solar system to the farthest reaches of space. Tyson and Walker bring astrophysics down to Earth with humor, blending mythology, history, and pop culture references. Readers journey through space and time, learning about phenomena from the Big Bang to black holes, and exploring the mysteries of the cosmos—such as light's dual nature, black holes, parallel worlds, and time travel. This book is perfect for science enthusiasts and anyone fascinated by the universe's greatest puzzles, combining scientific rigor with an entertaining style. for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach Known as 'America's funniest science writer' (Washington Post), Mary Roach explores the strange and fascinating realities of living and working in space. This bestseller takes readers on a quirky, entertaining journey into the science behind space travel and life without gravity. From the Space Shuttle training toilet to crash tests of NASA's new space capsule, Roach combines humour and hard science to reveal the weird and wonderful aspects of surviving the void. It's an accessible and highly engaging look at what it really takes to live beyond Earth.
India.com
4 hours ago
- India.com
Launch Of Axiom- 4 Mission Postponed Due To Weather Conditions: ISRO
The Axiom-4 mission launch has been postponed to June 11, 2025, due to unfavorable weather conditions. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that the mission, carrying Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS), will now lift off at 5:30 PM IST on June 11. ISRO wrote on X, "Launch of Axiom-4 mission to International Space Station: Due to weather conditions, the launch of Axiom-4 mission for sending Indian Gaganyatri to International Space Station is postponed from 10th June 2025 to 11th June 2025. The targeted time of launch is 5:30 PM IST on 11th June 2025: Dr V Narayanan, Chairman ISRO/ Secretary DOS / Chairman Space Commission." Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh also shared the details in a post on X. He noted that due to adverse weather conditions, the mission has been postponed by a day. He wrote on X,"Update on Axiom-4 Mission to to adverse weather, the launch of the Axiom-4 mission carrying Indian Gaganyatri to the International Space Station is rescheduled from June 10 to possibly June 11, 2025. Further update, if any, will be accordingly shared. New Launch Date: June 11, 2025 Time: 5:30 PM IST" The Ax-4 crew includes members from India, Poland, and Hungary, marking each nation's first mission to the space station in history and the second government-sponsored human spaceflight mission in over 40 years, according to Axiom Space. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be India's second national astronaut to go to space since 1984. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is part of Axiom Space's fourth private astronaut mission (Ax-4), marking a historic moment for India's space collaboration with NASA. Slawosz Uznanski, European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut, will be the second Polish astronaut since 1978. Tibor Kapu will be the second national Hungarian astronaut since 1980. Peggy Whitson will command her second commercial human spaceflight mission, adding to her standing record for the longest cumulative time in space by an American astronaut. According to Axiom Space, the Ax-4 mission will "realise the return" to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, marking each nation's first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While this is the second human spaceflight mission in history for these countries, it will be the first time all three will execute a mission aboard the International Space Station. This historic mission highlights how Axiom Space is redefining access to low-Earth orbit and elevating national space programs globally. Ax-4 will be the second commercial spaceflight mission made up of government and ESA-sponsored national astronauts. The Ax-4 mission stands as a beacon of opportunity for India, Poland, and Hungary, each poised to leverage this mission to advance their national space programs. The Ax-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the US, India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe. This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date, underscoring the mission's global significance and collaborative nature to advance microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO), per Axiom Space. The mission emphasises scientific portfolios led by the US, India, Poland (in partnership with ESA), and Hungary. It aims to boost participation in these countries by involving diverse stakeholders, showcasing the value of microgravity research, and fostering international collaboration. The studies will enhance global knowledge in human research, Earth observation, and life, biological, and material sciences, demonstrating the space research capabilities of the crew's home nations. Describing the team with whom he is going on the mission, Group Captain Shukla said, "The team that I'm flying with on this mission, it is fantastic. I do feel that I have exceptional crewmates. I will have these crew members for this one flight. But post this mission, these are going to be my friends for life. It has been an amazing journey. These are moments that really tell you that you are getting to be a part of something that is much larger than yourself. I can only say how extremely fortunate I am to be a part of this. It is my sincere endeavor through my mission to inspire an entire generation back home in the country. I want to use this opportunity to ignite curiosity among kids. Even if this story, my story, is able to change one life, it would be a huge success for me. I'm Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla. and I am the mission pilot for Axiom 4 mission."
