Lucknow To Low Earth Orbit: Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Heads to Space Lab
India is all set to send its second astronaut into space, nearly four decades after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma made history in 1984. This time, the mission is not with Russia but in collaboration with the United States, under the Indo-US Axiom-4 mission, also referred to as Mission Akash Ganga.
Space history in the making
India's astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, will walk in the footsteps of Astronaut Neil Armstrong, but Mr Shukla is not going to the moon. On his fortnight mission, Mr Shukla will travel to the orbiting International Space Laboratory.
Astronaut Shukla says, "As I prepare to spend 14 days aboard the ISS, I carry with me not just instruments and equipment, but the hopes and dreams of a billion hearts."
Mr Shukla considers himself fortunate to have opportunity to fly all his life. With this, he wishes to inspire an entire generation, generate curiosity among kids and leave a lasting impact. Recalling his journey, Mr Shukla called it a "long" one and added, "I have been extremely fortunate and lucky to have the opportunities to fly all my life, which was a dream job for me, apply to the astronaut corps, and now, consequently, be here. Probably a week before we arrived at Axiom, I came to know that I would be going. It is my sincere endeavour 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, can change one life, it will be a huge success for me."
Astronaut Shukla is "extremely excited" to fly to space.
Charming it is since this historic second flight for an Indian astronaut will take place from the same haloed Launch Complex 39 A at the Kennedy Space Center from which Astronaut Neil Armstrong lifted off on the Apollo 11 mission on July 16, 1969, to make history by becoming the first human to step on the moon.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has selected Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a 39-year-old fighter pilot from the Indian Air Force (IAF), as the prime astronaut for this historic flight. He is currently in pre-launch quarantine, a standard protocol to ensure astronauts are medically fit and isolated from potential infections before lift-off.
Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Mr Shukla is the youngest among the four astronaut designates trained under India's Gaganyaan program. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, he was commissioned into the IAF on June 17, 2006, in the fighter stream. A decorated Fighter Combat Leader and Test Pilot, he has logged approximately 2,000 hours of flying experience across a wide range of aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
When NDTV asked Group Captain Shukla about his first sortie into space and if he was confident of pulling it off, and having a happy splashdown or happy landing, he replied in his calm style.
"Yes, this is my first sortie to space, and over the past year, we have been training rigorously for this mission. I feel very confident, not just in my ability, but in the ability of this team sitting here to execute this mission successfully," he said.
The Axiom-4 mission, operated by Houston-based Axiom Space in partnership with NASA, will carry a four-member international crew aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). The crew includes Dr Peggy Whitson from the United States as mission commander, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, both serving as mission specialists.
Dr Whitson, a 64-year-old biochemist and former NASA astronaut, is the most experienced American astronaut with 675 days in space. Her extensive experience includes 10 spacewalks totalling over 60 hours, and she currently serves as Director of Human Spaceflight at Axiom Space. Her leadership is expected to provide invaluable mentorship to Mr Shukla during the mission.
The backup astronaut for Mission Akash Ganga is Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, the oldest among the astronaut designates. Born on August 26, 1976, in Thiruvazhiyad, Kerala, Mr Nair is also an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was awarded the Sword of Honour at the Air Force Academy. Commissioned in 1998, he is a Category-A Flying Instructor and a Test Pilot with over 3,000 hours of flying experience. He has commanded a premier Su-30 squadron and is an alumnus of the United States Staff College.
Experts believe ISRO's decision to select the youngest astronaut as the prime candidate aligns with India's long-term vision for human spaceflight. With plans to send an Indian to the Moon by 2040, grooming younger astronauts ensures continuity and experience for future missions.
Mission Akash Ganga was born out of the India-US joint statement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the United States in June 2023. The agreement envisioned a collaborative effort between ISRO and NASA to send an Indian astronaut to the ISS, marking a new chapter in Indo-US space cooperation.
During the mission, Mr Shukla-referred to by colleagues as "Shux" because of his call sign -will not only serve as the mission pilot but also conduct scientific research and technology demonstration experiments aboard the ISS. ISRO has also indicated that he will participate in space outreach activities, helping to inspire the next generation of Indian scientists and engineers.
The mission is a significant leap for India's space ambitions. It demonstrates the country's readiness to participate in commercial and international spaceflight programs and lays the groundwork for more complex missions in the future, including lunar exploration.
As Mr Shukla prepares for launch, he carries the hopes of a billion Indians eager to see their nation take its place among the world's leading spacefaring countries. With a seasoned commander like Dr Whitson by his side and a diverse international crew, Mission Akash Ganga promises to be a landmark in India's cosmic journey.
"I have exceptional crewmates," says Mr Shukla, adding, "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 tell you that you are getting to be a part of something much larger than yourself. I can only say how fortunate I am to be a part of this."
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Indian Express
19 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Before Shubhanshu Shukla lifts off, the story of Rakesh Sharma: the first Indian to go to space
Indian Air Force officer Shubhanshu Shukla on Wednesday will become only the second Indian to travel to space. The first was Rakesh Sharma, whose Soyuz T-11 spacecraft lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Soviet Kazakhstan on April 3, 1984. Here's the story. Sharma's voyage was a part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme which sent 17 non-Soviet cosmonauts to space between 1978 and 1991. First mooted in the 1960s, 'those behind [Interkosmos] described it as a means of establishing mutually beneficial relations with Eastern Bloc countries through unmanned and manned space ventures,' wrote Colin Burgess and Bert Vis in Interkosmos: The Eastern Bloc's Early Space Programme (2016). Although technically non-aligned, India had drifted towards the Soviet Union since the late 1960s. Among other things, this led to significant cooperation in the space sector. The Soviets provided equipment and technical assistance, apart from facilitating the launch of India's earliest satellites Aryabhatta (1975), Bhaskara I (1979) and Bhaskara II (1981). Sharma's spaceflight in 1984 was the pinnacle of Indo-Soviet cooperation in space. Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev suggested a joint India-Soviet space mission to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during his visit to India in 1980. The mission received official confirmation a year later. The IAF was tasked with selecting two pilots who would be given cosmonaut training by the Soviets. Its eventual choice: Sharma and Ravish Malhotra, both accomplished IAF test pilots. Test pilots, adept at handling and analysing performance of all kinds of aircraft, are often considered to be the crème de la crème of pilots. This makes them ideal for manning spacecraft: historically many astronauts/cosmonauts — including Neil Armstrong, the first man to step on the Moon — have been test pilots, as is Shubhanshu Shukla. From September 1982, Sharma and Malhotra underwent rigorous training, primarily at the Yuri Gagarin Centre in Star City, some 50 km from Moscow. Boris Volynov, the senior administrator at the cosmonaut training centre, said of the two trainees: 'They are goal-oriented people. Ravish and Rakesh came to us with no knowledge of Russian. Within a short time they not only learned it, but developed a good command of it; they take their lecture notes, read documents and take exams — all in Russian' (as per a report in Soviet Weekly on April 21, 1983). Sharma was eventually chosen to be a part of the three-member crew — along with veteran Soviet cosmonauts Yuriy Malyshev and Gennady Strekalov — which would travel to the Salyut 7 orbital station in 1984. Malhotra was a part of the backup crew. Sharma's week long stay in space The Soyuz T-11 spacecraft perched atop a 14-storey rocket lifted off from Baikonur at 6.38 pm IST on April 3, 1984. 'The liftoff was an awesome spectacle as the rocket streaked into a clear sky with its tail of flame filling the space with crimson glow and the roar of its mighty engine shaking the earth for miles around,' this newspaper's April 4, 1984 edition reported. Nine minutes after the launch, the spacecraft entered its pre-determined orbit around Earth, making Sharma the first Indian, and 138th person overall, to voyage into space. India became only the 14th nation to send a person to space. On April 4, 25 hours after lift-off, the Soyuz T-11 spacecraft docked with the Salyut 7 space station. The crew spent the next week conducting various scientific experiments aboard the staton, which orbited Earth at an altitude of more than 200 km. 'There was so much hectic activity on board the spaceship, so many things that each of us had to do, that we literally had no time to sit around and stare into space…,' Sharma later said in an interview (as quoted by Burgess and Vis). 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Then there were a bunch of medical experiments geared towards learning more about the effects of microgravity on human physiology, including muscles and the cardiovascular system. One experiment actually began three months before lift-off, with Sharma and Malhotra switching from the Soviet fitness regimen to one based on yoga. The idea was to 'assess whether yoga might assist space travelers to cope better with weightlessness, and even overcome… 'space sickness' that impaired the performance of some astronauts and cosmonauts during their first few days in space'. Sharma even practised yoga — a set of five pre-determined asanas — daily on the space station, tethered to some gym equipment for support in the microgravity environment of space. A hugely symbolic event Rakesh Sharma went to space at a time when India's own space programme was in its infancy, and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was decades away from even contemplating sending an Indian to space. 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an hour ago
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UPSC Key: Axiom-4 mission, Project Cheetah, and Tardigrades
Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for June 10, 2025. If you missed the June 9, 2025, UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here. Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights. What's the ongoing story: AS GROUP Captain Shubhanshu Shukla gets ready to become the first Indian to go to space in over 40 years, an 18-member team from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), led by chairman V Narayanan, has reached NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to witness the launch of Axiom-4 mission, which has been postponed by a day due to weather conditions. It is now set for lift-off on Wednesday, 5.30 pm India time. Key Points to Ponder: • What is the Axiom-4 mission? • What is the significance of the International Space Station (ISS)? • What is the theme of the Axiom-4 mission? • What is the Gaganyaan mission? • What is India's roadmap for setting up the Bharatiya Antariksha Station? • How does the Indian space sector benefit from private-sector participation? • How is Shukla's experience going to help India in future space missions? • How is India planning to exploit the space market? • What is the NISAR mission? • What is the Artemis accord? Key Takeaways: • Shukla is the designated pilot for the Axiom-4 mission that will travel to the International Space Station (ISS) — after a journey of 28 hours in space. The mission's Crew Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock with ISS around 10 pm India time on Thursday. The transfer of astronauts, from the spacecraft to the ISS, could take another couple of hours after the docking. • Shukla is the first Indian to go to the ISS, a permanent space laboratory, that has been orbiting the Earth for the last 25 years, and is constantly manned by astronauts. He is only the second Indian to go to space, more than 40 years after Rakesh Sharma went on a Soviet mission in 1984. • Shukla's participation in the Axiom-4 mission has been facilitated by an agreement between ISRO and NASA. Axiom Space, a private US company, has been enabled by NASA to carry crewed missions to the ISS as part of the effort to encourage private sector participation in space transportation, to low-Earth orbits and the ISS. • Axiom-4 is carrying four astronauts who will spend two weeks at the ISS. Besides Shukla, there is an astronaut each from Poland and Hungary, countries that, like India, are returning to space travel after over four decades. This is the reason why the theme of the mission is 'Realize the Return.' • The fourth member, also the commander of the mission, is space travel veteran Peggy Whitson, who holds the record for spending the maximum number of days, 675, in space over multiple trips. • Shukla's flight comes months ahead of the scheduled launch of Gaganyaan mission, which is ISRO's maiden attempt at sending a crewed mission to the Moon. • India now has its own human spaceflight mission in the works — the rocket has been human rated, the crew escape systems and parachutes have been tested in various conditions, the astronauts have completed their training. India's first crewed mission is scheduled for 2027. And, the learnings from the Axiom-4 mission will feed into it. • Human spaceflight missions are extremely challenging, more so when you are doing it for the first time. They are maybe a couple of orders of magnitude more complex than uncrewed missions because of the safety protocols that have to be integrated. This is the challenge that ISRO faces with the Gaganyaan mission. • That is why Shukla's experience with the Axiom-4 mission is important. He will bring real-life exposure that can be utilised in Gaganyaan. Shukla is the designated pilot of the Axiom-4 mission. He will learn a lot and gain in many ways during this mission. • Also, Shukla will be the first Indian to go to the ISS. He will have an opportunity to see how the ISS functions and operates. ISRO's next big project, after Gaganyaan, is to build its own space station. That is a massive infrastructural endeavour. • Space is a costly endeavour, and the sector can benefit hugely from private-sector participation. It will also make the sector more vibrant, facilitate innovation, expedite technology development, and attract new, young talent. It can also boost economic growth. • Globally, the space market is worth about $500 billion, and is expected to double by the year 2030. India, despite being a major spacefaring nation, accounts for a just 2% share of this market. We have the ambition of increasing our share to at least 10% in the coming years. Do You Know: 'Realising the return'— how an Indian became part of Axiom-4 • In June 2023, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington, India and the US announced a decision to finalise a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation. It was also revealed that Indian and American space agencies, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), would mount a joint effort to enable an Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) by 2024. • Only three nations — the US, Russia and China — have a human spaceflight programme of their own. Shubhanshu Shukla's flight, which came about on the back of the 2023 announcement, is thus being seen as another preparatory step ahead of the Gaganyaan mission. • Their space agencies have been working on a joint NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission for over a decade now, enabling a closer-than-ever partnership. That mission is finally ready now, and likely to be launched in the next few weeks from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. • This closer collaboration was formalised a couple of months after Modi's Washington visit in June 2023, when India signed the Artemis Accords, a US-devised set of principles for responsible behaviour and cooperation in space exploration, particularly in lunar and deep planetary missions. • Shortly after the Artemis Accords were signed, Axiom Space, a private US-based space company, invited India to participate in its mission to the ISS. Axiom Space has been the first and till now the only beneficiary of a NASA programme to enable private US industry to send commercial crewed missions to low-earth orbits and the ISS. • Axiom Space has sent three multinational missions to the ISS so far, each carrying four astronauts. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Gaganyaan's first uncrewed mission to be launched in 2025 last quarter: Isro chief V Narayanan 📍Knowledge Nugget: Axiom-4 mission — What you must know for UPSC Exam UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme: (1) With reference to the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), consider the following statements: 1. Ax-4 is a private spaceflight to the ISS operated by Axiom Space, using the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. 2. The mission will carry an all-Indian crew on its journey. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Structure, organisation and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity. What's the ongoing story: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Monday announced in a special one-day session of the Assam Assembly that the state government has decided to bring a 1950 Act into action to 'push back' into Bangladesh anyone who District Collectors prima facie find to be foreigners — without going through the state's existing system of Foreigners Tribunals. Key Points to Ponder: • What is the role of the Foreigners Tribunals? • What are the constitutional provisions related to tribunals? • What are the criteria to declare someone a foreigner in India? • What is Section 6A of the Citizenship Act? • What is the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950? • Who is considered a citizen in India? • What are the constitutional provisions related to citizenship in India? • What are the issues around the National Register of Citizens (NRC)? Key Takeaways: • He said this will be implemented in addition to the ongoing 'pushbacks' of people who have been declared foreigners by the Foreigners Tribunals (FTs); around 330 such declared foreigners have been pushed into Bangladesh in the past couple of weeks. • Speaking in the Assembly, Sarma referred to the October 2024 judgment of the Supreme Court in which a majority of a five-member Constitutional Bench headed by then Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud had upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, which makes March 24, 1971 the cut-off date for citizenship in Assam. • Under the existing system in the state, the identification and declaration of 'foreigners' is done through Foreigners Tribunals (FTs). • FTs are quasi-judicial bodies that determine whether a person presented before them — usually referred by the border police or listed as 'D-voters' in electoral rolls — is a 'foreigner' or an Indian citizen. Those declared foreigners by these tribunals have the option to appeal against the order by approaching the Gauahti High Court and the Supreme Court. • In the judgment, after upholding the validity of Section 6A, the court had issued a set of six directions, of which one was: 'The provisions of the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950 shall also be read into Section 6A and shall be effectively employed for the purpose of identification of illegal immigrants.' Do You Know: • The Foreigners' Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies meant to 'furnish opinion on the question as to whether a person is or is not a foreigner within the meaning of Foreigners Act, 1946'. • In 1964, the Centre passed the Foreigners' (Tribunals) Order under provisions of Section 3 of the Act. The FTs get two kinds of cases: those against whom a 'reference' has been made by border police, and those whose names in the electoral rolls have a D (Doubtful) against them. • Section 9 of the Foreigners Act says that 'the onus of proving that such person is not a foreigner or is not a foreigner of such particular class or description, as the case may be, shall, not withstanding anything contained in the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, lie upon such person'. • Previously, under the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, 1983, the onus of proving one's nationality or otherwise lay on the complainant. In 2005 (Sarbananda Sonowal vs Union Of India), the Supreme Court struck down the IMDT Act and held that it 'has created the biggest hurdle and is the main impediment or barrier in the identification and deportation of illegal migrants'. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Explained: How do Foreigners' Tribunals work? UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (2) Consider the following statements: 1. The FTs are constitutional bodies formed by the central government through the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order of 1964. 2. According to the 1964 order, an FT has the powers of a civil court in certain matters, such as summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 'The Central Administrative Tribunal which was established for redressal of grievances and complaints by or against central government employees, nowadays is exercising its powers as an independent judicial authority.' Explain. (2019) Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. What's the ongoing story: Amid continuing criticism of various aspects of Project Cheetah, wildlife officials and field scientists from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) have authored a paper seeking to counter what they termed 'persistent criticism' and 'sensationalised media narratives' against the project, and defended its progress. Key Points to Ponder • What is Project Cheetah? • Cheetah in India- Know in detail • What is the IUCN status of Cheetah? • Trans-continental translocation of Animals-know the Issues and Challenges • How was the Reintroduction of the cheetah in India executed? • What are the challenges of the Project Cheetah? • Cheetah Project Steering Committee—Know its role, vision and powers • What is the significance of the Project Cheetah? • What are the other similar projects of the Indian government? • Read about the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Cheetah Project Steering Committee. • Map work (World)- Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa. • Map work (India)- Kuno Palpur National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. Key Takeaways: • The officials and scientists said some of the criticism against the project was 'rooted in ideological biases'. Published in Frontiers in Conservation Science journal, the paper said that cheetahs imported to India have adapted ecologically and that the project had demonstrated significant progress in 2.5 years. • It added that the project was on a promising trajectory, even as cheetah reintroduction was a 'gradual and risky process, with inevitable and adaptive learning'. NTCA's assistant veterinary officer Sanath Krishna Muliya is the paper's lead author, and Project Tiger head Gobind Sagar Bharadwaj is among the co-authors. • The paper delved into issues such as the project's scientific merits, 'misplaced concerns about cheetahs in captivity', 'misinformed ethical and justice concerns', and 'misconceptions about veterinary capabilities and field interventions.' • The government officials said in the paper that the cheetahs were held in 'soft-release bomas' or large enclosures, where they hunted locally available prey, and no prey was provided. They added that the soft-release practice was internationally recognised for carnivore reintroductions. • The government is also negotiating with the governments of Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa, for more cheetah translocations, the paper said. Do You Know: • Project Cheetah was launched in September 2022 and introduced African cheetahs into India from Namibia and South Africa. Initially, 20 cheetahs were imported from the two countries. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Project Cheetah: Where things stand after two years Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (3) Consider the following: (2012) 1. Black-necked crane 2. Cheetah 3. Flying squirrel 4. Snow leopard Which of the above are naturally found in India? (a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 1, 3 and 4 only (c) 2 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance, General Science Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Science and Technology, Awareness in the fields of Space What's the ongoing story: Among the scientific experiments astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will undertake during his two week stay at the International Space Station (ISS) is one that will examine the revival, survival, and reproduction of tardigrades in space. Key Points to Ponder: • What are tardigrades? • What makes tardigrades one of the most resilient life forms on Earth? • What is the Voyager Tardigrades experiment? • Why do scientists study these microscopic, eight-legged organisms? • What is the Axiom-4 mission? • Read the biological structure and habitat of tardigrades and how these features contribute to their adaptability and widespread distribution. Key Takeaways: • Tardigrades, also known as 'water bears', are robust aquatic animals that have been around for roughly 600 million years, 400 million years before dinosaurs walked the planet. They have survived all the five major mass extinction events to have taken place thus far, and scientists believe they could be around long after humanity has died out. • Typically about 0.5 mm long when fully grown, tardigrades have four pairs of legs, with 4-6 claws on each foot. They also have a specialised mouth which helps them suck nutrients from plant cells, algae, and other small invertebrates. • Tardigrades can be found almost everywhere — from the highest mountains to the deepest oceans. Their most common habitat, however, is the thin film of water found on mosses and lichens, which bestows upon these animals the moniker of 'moss piglets'. • Siddharth Pandey, an affiliate research scientist with US-based Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, told The Indian Express that tardigrades owe their incredible resilience to cryptobiosis, a state in which organisms bring their metabolism to a near-complete standstill in the face of adverse environmental conditions. Tardigrades can reduce their metabolism to less than 0.01% of normal, and drop their water levels by more than 95%, a state called anhydrobiosis. • Both anhydrobiosis and cryptobiosis result in the emergence of a durable shrunken state, called tun, in which tardigrades are able to withstand extreme conditions. • Also, these animals produce unique proteins such as cytoplasmic-abundant heat soluble (CAHS) proteins which are key to their resilience. • Scientists will take tardigrades to the ISS in a state of tun, before reviving them and examining the effects of space radiation and microgravity on their biological processes. • The primary objective of the experiment is to identify the genes that are responsible for making these animals resilient. In other words, scientists hope to pinpoint the specific molecular machinery that enables tardigrades' survival and DNA repair in space. • This will help scientists develop strategies to protect astronauts during long-duration space missions, and preserve biological materials for extended space travel. Do You Know: • Tardigrades were discovered in 1773 by German zoologist Johann August Ephraim Goeze, they have become a subject of intensive research in the past few decades. • This is because tardigrades are remarkably resilient creatures, known to survive in the harshest of conditions. Water bears have been known to withstand temperatures as low as minus 272.95 degrees Celsius or as high as 150 degrees Celsius; endure ultraviolet radiation of space and pressures of 40,000 kilopascals (equivalent to what can be experienced at a depth of 4 km under the ocean's surface); and live after being stored in a freezer for 30 years, according to a report by Front Line Genomics. • Tardigrades have been a part of space missions since 2007, when some 3,000 moss piglets hitched a ride to space aboard the European Space Agency's Foton-M3 mission. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍This Word Means: Water bears or tardigrades UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme: (4) Consider the following statements with regard to Tardigrades 1. Tardigrades were discovered in 1773 by German zoologist Johann August Ephraim Goeze. 2. They have survived all the five major mass extinction events to have taken place thus far. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc. What's the ongoing story: India is set to add 75 gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy in 2025-26 (FY26) and FY27, up 53 per cent from 49 GW added in FY24 and FY25, Crisil Ratings said. Key Points to Ponder: • What is the share of renewable energy in the total energy production of India? • What are the geographical and economic challenges in utilizing the true potential of renewable energy? • What are the major initiatives taken by the government related to the adoption of renewable energy? • What are the Hybrid projects? • Understand the science behind the production of solar, wind, and tidal energy. • What are the power purchase agreements (PPAs)? • A key challenge facing the sector is the inability of the transmission infrastructure. Elaborate. Key Takeaways: • Investments in renewables are also expected to surge by 52 per cent from Rs 2.5 lakh crore to Rs 3.8 lakh crore in FY26 and FY27, largely on account of increasing share of hybrid projects that are more capital intensive, the ratings agency said. • Of the total 75 GW renewable capacity to be added over the next two financial years, around 37 per cent will come from hybrid and storage-linked projects, significantly larger than the 17 per cent share in FY24 and FY25. • Hybrid projects mix solar and wind capacities to support more consistent generation, while storage-linked projects use batteries and pumped hydro to save excess power generation for later use. • Crisil Ratings said investments in renewables were recorded at Rs 1.8 lakh crore in FY22 and FY23, which increased to Rs 2.5 lakh crore in the following two fiscals, and is expected to grow by half to Rs 3.8 lakh crore in FY26 and FY27. The surge in investments will partly be on account of rising share of hybrid and storage projects, which are more capital intensive. • A key challenge facing the sector is the inability of transmission infrastructure to keep pace with capacity addition. • Renewable projects are also facing difficulties in securing buyers through renewable energy implementing agencies (REIAs), with not enough states signing power purchase agreements (PPAs). Do You Know: • Renewable energy sources such as solar power, hydroelectric power, and wind power can be harnessed repeatedly without depleting natural resources, making them essential to a sustainable future. Therefore, expanding the scope and uses of renewable energy sources is critical to reducing the dependence on fossil fuels and combating climate change. 1. Solar Energy: Solar energy is harnessed from the sun's radiation. It can be transformed into electricity using solar panels (photovoltaic cells) or alternatively can be utilised to produce heat through solar thermal systems. 2. Wind Energy: It is generated by converting the kinetic energy of wind into electricity using wind turbines. 3. Hydropower: It is created by harnessing the kinetic energy of flowing water in rivers, dams, waterfalls, etc. It is one of the oldest and most widely used forms of renewable energy. 4. Biomass Energy: Biomass is produced from organic materials such as plant residues, animal waste, and wood. It can be heated or converted to liquid or gaseous fuels for consumption. 5. Geothermal Energy: This form of energy is derived from the Earth's internal heat. These can be naturally occurring hot water reservoirs or can be man-made. Occurring at various depths and varying temperatures below the earth's surface, these geothermal resources can be used for electricity generation and direct heating applications. 6. Tidal and Wave Energy: It harnesses the movement of ocean water to generate electricity. Tidal energy relies on the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun, whereas wave energy captures the energy of surface waves. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Akshay Urja Day 2024: India making strides in advancing renewable energy 📍Renewable energy's dirty secrets: Hidden cost of going green Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 'Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy is the sine qua non to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)'.Comment on the progress made in India in this regard. (2018) Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment, Science and Technology. What's the ongoing story: India's imports of permanent magnets—many containing rare earth elements (REEs)—nearly doubled to 53,700 tonnes in 2024-25 (FY25) from around 28,700 tonnes the year before, according to official trade data. Key Points to Ponder: • What are permanent magnets? • What are rare earth magnets? Why is it called rare earth minerals? • Which country has the most rare earth deposits? • What is the difference between critical minerals and rare earth elements? • What effects does China's dominance over the processing of rare earth magnets have on global supply chains? • What are the rare earth minerals found in India? • What should India do to prepare for future shortages of strategic minerals such as rare earth elements? Key Takeaways: • The surge in imports, with 93 per cent coming from China, preceded Beijing's April 4 export restrictions on rare earth magnets, which have since disrupted production lines globally. In India, with just 2-3 weeks of REE magnet supply remaining, industry executives are expected to travel to China in a bid to ease the shortage, sources told The Indian Express. • China is the dominant supplier of permanent magnets in India, accounting for upwards of 90 per cent share. Imports from China increased by 95 per cent year-on-year to 50,000 tonnes in FY25. Permanent magnets, especially those made with REEs, are widely used in electric vehicle (EV) motors, wind turbines, aerospace, and defence. • In contrast to FY25, imports in the ongoing financial year are expected to be tempered, after China imposed export restrictions on rare earth magnets and related materials from April 4, as a direct response to US imposing tariffs. • In India, a supply crunch is in the making, especially for neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets used in EV motors. Over the past month or so, Indian carmakers are learnt to have used up inventories and there is likely to be a shortage going forward. • Earlier, a senior executive from the Indian car industry told The Indian Express that importers are now required to give their Chinese suppliers an undertaking that the rare earth magnets procured from that country would only be used in vehicles and not for defence or military applications. • Currently, IREL (India) Ltd, a PSU under the Department of Atomic Energy, refines rare earth oxides from heavy metal ores, containing REEs like cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, and praseodymium. However, production is limited. Moreover, the processing of refining oxides into alloys—and then into magnets—is highly technical and virtually non-existent in India. • Figuring out the supply chain for rare earth ores is a key challenge, with players looking at importing ores from Sri Lanka, Mongolia, and Myanmar, sources said. Another challenge for domestic players would be to remain viable as China significantly cuts prices of rare earth magnets. • According to the US Geological Survey's January 2025 data, India held the world's third-largest rare earth reserves in 2024—estimated at 6.9 million tonnes— behind China (44 million tonnes) and Brazil (21 million tonnes). However, on the production front, India ranked seventh at 2,900 tonnes, well behind China (255,000 tonnes), Myanmar (43,000), the US (41,600), Australia, Nigeria, and Thailand. • In the January 2024 report, India ranked fifth in reserves. The latest revision reflects reduction in other countries' estimates—Vietnam's reserves were cut from 22 million tonnes to 3.5 million, and Russia's from 10 million to 3.8 million. Do You Know: • Rare Earth Elements (REEs) or Rare Earth Metals are a set of 17 chemical elements in the periodic table — the 15 lanthanides, plus scandium and yttrium, which tend to occur in the same ore deposits as the lanthanides, and have similar chemical properties. REEs are classified as light RE elements (LREE) and heavy RE elements (HREE). • The 17 Rare Earths are cerium (Ce), dysprosium (Dy), erbium (Er), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), holmium (Ho), lanthanum (La), lutetium (Lu), neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), scandium (Sc), terbium (Tb), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), and yttrium (Y). • Some REEs are available in India — such as Lanthanum, Cerium, Neodymium, Praseodymium and Samarium, etc. Others such as Dysprosium, Terbium, and Europium, which are classified as HREEs, are not available in Indian deposits in extractable quantities. Hence, there is a dependence on countries such as China for HREEs, which is one of the leading producers of REEs, with an estimated 70 per cent share of the global production. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Knowledge Nugget: Geopolitics and Minerals – What is the UPSC relevance of Rare Earth Elements? 📍China curbs on rare earth magnets: Electric Vehicle makers face shortage, approach govt UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme: (5) With reference to the Rare Earth Elements, consider the following statements: 1. These are crucial for manufacturing high-value goods in defence and clean energy. 2. The United States dominated rare earth elements, supplying 85 to 95 per cent of the world's demand. 3. Gadolinium (Gd) and holmium (Ho) are considered Rare Earth Elements. Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. She holds experience in UPSC-related content development. You can contact her via email: ... Read More Roshni Yadav is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She is an alumna of the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she pursued her graduation and post-graduation in Political Science. She has over five years of work experience in ed-tech and media. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. Her interests lie in national and international affairs, governance, economy, and social issues. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
