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News18
2 days ago
- Politics
- News18
'Eagerly Waiting': Shubhanshu Shukla's Family, Friends Begin Countdown To Space Mission
Last Updated: Shubhanshu Shukla is set to become the first Indian to step onto the ISS since Rakesh Sharma's 1984 mission. His family eagerly awaits his June 10 launch on SpaceX's rocket. As Shubhanshu Shukla is all set for his historic space journey as an Indian after Rakesh Sharma's 1984 odyssey, his family is anxiously waiting for his mission's lift-off moment. Group Captain Shukla is seven days shy of his blast off on board SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket that will propel him into history as the first Indian to step onto the International Space Station (ISS). The highly anticipated space voyage of the 39-year-old Lucknow native is scheduled for June 10 from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. This feat will also mark India's return to human spaceflight after Rakesh Sharma's 1984 space adventure. Shukla's father felt proud over his son's upcoming endeavour, news agency PTI reported. 'It's true that as our son stands on the brink of history and is set to represent India in NASA's AXIOM-4 mission to the ISS. It's an immensely proud moment not just for us but for the country, and we are praying for the success of this space mission each day," PTI quoted, Shukla's father Shambhu, a retired government employee, as saying. 'He calls us up each day to check on our well-being and to make us feel comfortable before his space trip that holds its own significance for the country," Shukla's father added. Shubhanshu has been undergoing rigorous training for a year-and-a-half period and has not met his family since then. Speaking to PTI, his elder sister Suchi Mishra revealed that Shubhanshu would always talked about aircraft in excitement in his childhood. 'We keep our conversation as normal as possible. We are eagerly waiting for the mission's success and for our brother to be back home with us," Suchi Mishra told PTI. 'As a child he had once been to an air show, and he later told me how he was fascinated by the speed and sound of the aircrafts. Then he had spoken of his dream to fly, but of course there was no telling at the time how quickly he would embrace his dream. As an Indian and as his sister, it's definitely a very proud moment, for this space journey of my brother is carrying with them the hopes and blessings of a billion Indians," Suchi added. Shubhanshu's 14-day space flight is being seen as preparatory to the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) own Gaganyaan human-spaceflight programme panned for 2027. The City Montessori School (CMS), from where Shukla received education from the beginning till grade 12, is also brimming with excitement. To inspire its students, the school management is making special arrangements to watch the action live on the D-day. Over 62,000 students across all its branches will be watching to celebrate Shukla's journey from classrooms to space, said CMS manager Geeta Gandhi Kingdon. 'We are all behind Shubhanshu and praying for his success, as his journey also embodies our motto of 'Jai Jagat' one that will inspire each student to aim for the stars," Kingdon told PTI. It was sheer providence that saw Shukla take his National Defence Academy (NDA) exam, his father recalled. 'Some of his CMS classmates had brought up a form for NDA. One of them realized that he was overage by a few days and inquired from Shubhanshu if he would like to apply instead. That's how it all started." Shambhu still remembers the exact moment when the family got the news of Shukla's selection for the NDA. 'Now, of course, the phones keep buzzing incessantly as my son is set to represent India in NASA's AXIOM-4 mission to the ISS. But, truth be told, back then in 2001-2, we had a landline phone on which one of Shubhanshu's friends had called. Mistaking me for my son, he had excitedly shared Shubhanshu's result. That's how we came to know about it. After that he went to take his interview and got selected there," said Shambhu. He added that the family aspired to see him as a civil servant. But that was then. 'Back then we nursed that dream but today we feel so proud of his achievements as we bask in reflected glory," said the father. First Published:
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Business Standard
16-05-2025
- Science
- Business Standard
India to conduct first biological experiments aboard ISS: Jitendra Singh
India is set to conduct its first-ever biological experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to study the sustainability of human life in space, Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said on Thursday. An important initiative under the BioE3, these unique experiments, spearheaded by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) in collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), will be carried out as part of the upcoming International Space Station (ISS) mission AXIOM-4, with Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as a crew member. Singh said the first experiment at the ISS will examine the impact of microgravity and space radiation on the growth of edible microalgae, a nutrient-rich potential food source for long-duration space missions. This project is a joint initiative of Isro, NASA, and DBT and aims to analyse key growth parameters and changes in transcriptomes, proteomes, and metabolomes of different algal species in space, as compared to Earth-based controls. The results will help identify the most suitable microalgal species for use in space environments, he added. Microalgae offer several key advantages that make them ideal candidates for sustaining life in space. They have an extremely short life cycle, with some species growing in as little as 26 hours, allowing for rapid biomass production. The second experiment at the ISS will study the growth and proteomic responses of cyanobacteria, such as Spirulina and Synechococcus, under microgravity conditions using urea- and nitrate-based media. Singh said the need to recycle carbon and nitrogen from human waste during prolonged space travel to achieve self-sustainability in spacecraft and future extraterrestrial colonies. Cyanobacteria, due to their fast growth and efficient photosynthesis, are ideal agents for such recycling systems, he said. According to the minister, the experiment aims to explore Spirulina as a "superfood" due to its high protein and vitamin content, compare the growth of cyanobacterial cells in urea versus nitrate environments, and study the effect of space conditions on their metabolic profiles. The experiments have been developed in association with scientists from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, under the broader Isro-DBT research collaboration.
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New Indian Express
15-05-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
India to conduct its first ever biological experiments aboard ISS to study sustainability of life in space
NEW DELHI: India is set to undertake its first-ever biological experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Announcing this on Thursday, Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said the experiments would 'study the sustainability of life in space as an important initiative under the BioE3 Biotechnology policy launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.' Dr Singh said these unique experiments, spearheaded by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), will be conducted as part of the upcoming ISS mission AXIOM-4, which includes Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as a crew member. He said the first experiment aboard the ISS would examine the impact of microgravity and space radiation on the growth of edible microalgae. 'This project is a joint initiative of ISRO, NASA and DBT with an aim to analyse key growth parameters and changes in transcriptomes, proteomes and metabolomes of different algal species in space as compared to Earth-based controls,' he said.
