Latest news with #Axiom-4
NDTV
4 hours ago
- Science
- NDTV
'Ghar Ka Khana' In Orbit: Indian Flavours To Be Part Of Space Mission
As India prepares to send Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Axiom-4 mission, the spotlight is not only on the science and symbolism of the flight but also on the food that will accompany the country's first Gaganyatri in space. While most meals aboard the ISS are prepared by NASA, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has ensured that Group Captain Shukla will carry a taste of home with him. Among the specially selected items is mango nectar, a sweet and refreshing drink that will be consumed through a sipper in microgravity. Also included is Indian rice, which poses a unique challenge in space due to its non-sticky nature. Unlike sticky rice commonly used in other parts of the world, Indian rice grains may float freely in the low-gravity environment, making them harder to manage. For dessert, Group Captain Shukla will enjoy moong dal halwa, a rich, energy-dense sweet dish that has been carefully packaged for consumption in space. These food items are not just about comfort - they represent India's cultural identity and culinary heritage, now extending into orbit. The packaging and preparation of these dishes have been specially adapted for space conditions, ensuring safety, nutrition, and ease of use. This culinary inclusion is a small but meaningful part of a much larger mission that symbolizes India's growing presence in global space exploration. As Group Captain Shukla embarks on this historic journey, he carries not just scientific experiments and national pride, but also the familiar flavours of home-reminding the world that India's space story is as much about its people and culture as it is about technology and ambition. With the Axiom-4 mission, India is not only participating in a private commercial spaceflight but also laying the groundwork for future human spaceflight missions under the Gaganyaan program. The inclusion of Indian cuisine aboard the ISS is a symbolic and sensory milestone, reflecting the country's readiness to contribute to the international space community on its own terms-scientifically, culturally, and gastronomically.
Indian Express
11 hours ago
- Science
- Indian Express
Why a seat for Shukla on Axiom-4 is a big moment for India's space programme
Four decades after Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to travel to space, Shubhanshu Shulka, a 39-year-old Indian Air Force officer who is in the final leg of his pre-launch quarantine at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, will on Sunday, June 8, pilot a Dragon spacecraft that will take him, and three others, to the International Space Station (ISS), about 400 km from the Earth. Shukla, who is set to be the first Indian to step on to the ISS, will spend two weeks carrying out various experiments and studies in space. Though India or the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has had little role to play in the planning and execution of the mission — apart from securing a seat for an Indian on the spacecraft — Shulka's journey couldn't have come at a better time for the country's space programme as it prepares for Gaganyaan, India's own human spaceflight. The Dragon spacecraft, as well as the Falcon 9 rocket that will launch it into space, are built by Elon Musk-owned SpaceX, one of the biggest private space companies in the world. The mission is being operated and managed by Axiom Space, a nine-year-old private entity focused on commercial spaceflight services. The US space agency NASA is facilitating this mission as part of its broader initiative to encourage private operators to participate in commercial space transportation activities in Lower Earth Orbits. The four-member crew also has astronauts from Poland and Hungary – countries that, like India, are sending their nationals to space after 40 years — underlining the very diverse nature of participation in this mission. Shukla's space journey was not planned like this. He was selected and trained for Gaganyaan, India's maiden human spaceflight mission that was originally scheduled for 2022 but is now expected to happen in early 2027. In the meanwhile, in 2023, NASA and ISRO agreed to develop a 'strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation', its immediate result being the inclusion of Indian astronauts in the Axiom-4 mission. Besides Shukla, Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, another Indian astronaut selected for the Gaganyaan programme, also underwent advanced training for the Axiom-4 mission, and is on backup. ISRO has designed about 10 experiments for this mission. These include investigations into the effects of microgravity on muscle dysfunctions, and the physical and cognitive impacts of utilising computer screens in space. Another experiment would study the impact of spaceflight on the growth of six varieties of crop seeds. ISRO is also sending a few tardigrades to the ISS. These microscopic, water-dwelling organisms, also called water bears or moss piglets, are known to survive in extremely harsh environments. They are often studied in space to gain a better understanding of how life can survive in extraterrestrial conditions. These are the experiments that ISRO would have carried out on Gaganyaan if the mission had gone ahead of Axiom-4. Now it has the opportunity to conduct follow-up and more advanced experiments on its own missions. Besides, Shukla, who is the designated pilot of Space X's Dragon spacecraft, can pass on invaluable experience and feedback to his colleagues when they travel to space as part of Gaganyaan. 'The Axiom-4 mission being so close to the Gaganyaan flight is a very good opportunity for ISRO. Shuks (Shukla), being the pilot, will learn a lot from this mission, and those would be very relevant for India's other astronauts who are waiting. This mission is a very fortuitous and profitable learning experience for India. Even the ground scientists… they will get to practise how to interact with crew in space and the mission control team. All this would be invaluable to ISRO not just for Gaganyaan but also for the space station it plans to set up in a few years' time,' said Michael Lopez-Alegria, a famed US astronaut who holds the world record for the maximum number of spacewalks (10) and the maximum time spent in spacewalks (close to 68 hours). Lopez-Alegria, who commanded the previous mission of Axiom Space, named Axiom-3, was in Delhi earlier this month. While on the face of it Shukla's flight appears similar to the one undertaken by Rakesh Sharma 41 years ago, aboard the Soyuz T-11 spacecraft of the then Soviet Union, the contexts and objectives of the two are vastly different. 'Rakesh Sharma's spaceflight was largely a result of Indo-Soviet friendship and close relationship between the space agencies of the two countries. India's capabilities were very limited then, and a human spaceflight programme of its own was nowhere on the horizon. Though hugely important, and a big learning experience, there was little from Sharma's flight that ISRO could have utilised in practical terms. Shukla's spaceflight, on the other hand, is very different. It is not an isolated event. It feeds in directly into the Gaganyaan programme, and must be seen as one of the several preparatory steps that ISRO is taking in the run-up to its own human spaceflight mission,' said Mylswamy Annadurai, retired ISRO scientist who was the project director for the Chandrayaan-1 mission. Even Rakesh Sharma's flight was not supposed to be an isolated event. More such spaceflights with Indian astronauts were under discussion. But the accident of the US space shuttle Challenger in 1986 led to a reassessment of human spaceflight plans everywhere, and ended that initiative. Along with his two Soviet colleagues on the mission, Sharma carried out several space experiments during his flight. These resulted in ISRO getting access to important and novel data, though the space agency had little utility for them at that time. In 1984, India did not even have a decent rocket of its own. The only one it had, SLV-3, could barely carry 30-40 kg to Lower Earth Orbits. India's important satellites, like those of the INSAT series, were being launched from the United States. Four decades later, India's space capabilities are almost on a par with the best. It has already landed on the Moon, orbited around Mars, has an ongoing mission studying the Sun, is preparing to send humans into space and a mission to Venus, is building a space station of its own, and planning to land humans on the Moon. Shukla's spaceflight is much more than a joyride offered by a friendly country. 'There are many building blocks for a complex mission like Gaganyaan. ISRO has already carried out several test flights. Recovery missions have been done, reusable launch vehicles have been tested. Later this year, we will also have the first uncrewed flight in the lead-up to the actual crewed flight. All these are building blocks. Shukla's flight is also one of the building blocks. It is fully integrated with ISRO's immediate and long-term objectives, particularly the Gaganyaan mission,' Annadurai said. With days left for Shukla's space odyssey, Lopez-Alegria had an important advice for him: don't spend all your time only doing experiments. 'Enjoy the experience and find time to look at the Earth at every opportunity. I wish I had been told this during my first space trip,' he said. 'The astronaut's time in space is valuable with strict timelines drawn for tasks and scientific experiments. It is natural for an astronaut to be concerned about completing these tasks. But it is also important to soak in the experience and give a hard look to the wonder that is this universe,' he said.
NDTV
a day ago
- Science
- NDTV
India's First Gaganyatri To Taste Moong Dal Halwa, Rajma Chawal In Space
The Axiom-4 mission is scheduled for launch on June 8 at 6:41 pm (IST), aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon capsule. The mission will last approximately 14 days, with splashdown expected around June 22. The crew includes Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (India) - Mission Pilot, Peggy Whitson (USA) - Mission Commander, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary). The Ax-4 crew completed eight months of intensive training at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, including simulations, emergency protocols, and microgravity adaptation. Group Captain Shukla also trained in Russia and India prior to this, and his preparedness has been praised by Dr V Narayanan, Chairman, ISRO. ISRO has selected seven microgravity experiments for Ax-4, spanning agriculture, food, and human biology. Highlights include microalgae radiation impact, sprouting salad seeds in space, tardigrade survival and transcriptomics, and muscle regeneration under microgravity. These experiments are designed by Indian institutions and mark a significant step in India's space biology research. In a cultural first, Group Captain Shukla will carry moong dal halwa, rice, and mango 'nectar', rajma-chawal, and Jaipuri mixed vegetables to the ISS. This echoes the culinary legacy of astronaut Sunita Williams, who had fish curry and samosas during her missions. This mission is a joint effort by ISRO, NASA, and Axiom Space, with India reportedly investing $60-70 million for the seat, or about Rs 550 crore. It is also a diplomatic milestone, with decisions coordinated at the PMO level. The mission also strengthens India's ties with the European Space Agency (ESA). ESA astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski will fly alongside Group Captain Shukla, and both agencies are exploring future collaborations, including India's proposed Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS). Ax-4 is a precursor to India's indigenous human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan, targeted for late 2026. The mission will provide Group Captain Shukla with critical hands-on experience in orbital operations, teamwork, and emergency preparedness skills vital for Gaganyaan's success. Dr V Narayanan, Chairman, ISRO, shared insights into the mission and the Gaganyaan program during an interview with Pallava Bagla. "Right now, we are working on our Indian Gaganyaan program. For this, we have already selected four astronauts. They have undergone a set of training, both theoretical training and experimental training," he said. "Now we have the opportunity to send one of the astronauts to ISS. And this will bring a lot of expertise, knowledge, advantage, working with the other astronauts, carrying out a couple of experiments," Dr Narayanan added. "That is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved that entire program. Right now, the training part is going on at NASA." On being asked, as ISRO Chairman, if he's happy with Group Captain Shukla's performance, if he will make a good astronaut to the International Space Station, and if he must learn newer things that will come in handy in Gaganyaan, Dr Narayanan responded, "I am extremely happy. ISRO is a teamwork. Our Gaganyaatri is doing extremely well, that is what is my understanding is. These are all exceptional people with great devotion and single-minded devotion." With the SpaceX Falcon 9 Crew Dragon with astronaut Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore executing a great mission, does that make them confident that Axiom 4 mission with the same rocket type and crew module would also do well? Dr Narayanan replied, "To be frank, I consider myself a born optimist. And when we are working in this type of space program, you know, we always believe that this will be a successful program. And I am having full confidence that things will go well because this experience will also help handle the situation. It will be a very-very fantastic mission." "Because one of the Gaganyatri is going, he understands physically, of course, a lot of training is there. But then this is a hands-on experience going with other astronauts and then getting the direct experience and trying to work with them as a teamwork," he explained. Asked about the progress of the Gaganyaan program, he said there is a series of tests that need to be done. On when to expect the first uncrewed flight and the first human flight, Dr Narayanan elaborated, "For Gaganyaan program, we must develop major systems. One is a human rating of the launch vehicle... improving the reliability, enhancing the redundancy aspect wherever possible and required... I will say 90% work is completed." "We are targeting 2026-end. That's the commitment we have given to the government. But we are working in accelerated mode," he added. Dr Narayanan also agreed when asked if safe landing is the most important thing. "This is the first time a human interface is involved. The life, precise life of our own citizen is the key there. And we cannot have any compromise on that." "The key is the successful mission. That is the key. So, towards that, we are all working," he concluded. This mission marks a significant milestone in India's space exploration journey, showcasing the nation's growing capabilities and international collaborations. As Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla prepares for his journey to the ISS, the world watches with anticipation, eager to witness India's leap into private spaceflight and the promising future of the Gaganyaan program.
NDTV
a day ago
- Science
- NDTV
'Carrying India's Dreams': Astronaut-Designate On Shubhanshu Shukla's Mission
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, one of the four astronaut-designates trained under India's Gaganyaan program, is set to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom mission this month. Among those who trained alongside Mr Shukla for India's maiden human spaceflight project is Group Captain Angad Pratap, who shared his thoughts on Mr Shukla's preparations for the Axiom-4 mission, which is scheduled to launch on June 8. "He (Mr Shukla) has been our colleague for the last five years. In our training, one of the most important things is that more than what you learn from the instructor or the curriculum, there is a lot of lateral learning that happens," Mr Pratap said. Mr Pratap, who is part of Gaganyaan along with Mr Shukla, Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair and Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, emphasised that the journey of astronaut training is not a solo pursuit. "All four of us have our own strengths and weaknesses. I have learnt some very strong aspects of the qualities that an astronaut should have from each one of these individuals," he said. Expressing confidence that Mr Shukla will be a "good astronaut", Mr Pratap said that he has a "great responsibility" as there are many people whose "aspirations are going to fly along" with the Indian astronaut. "Rakesh Sharma Sir flew decades ago. In the modern era, Shukla has the opportunity to fly into space. And it is not Shukla alone who gets to fly into space. These are those faceless people whose aspirations are going to fly along with Shukla. He must remember that he's not alone. With him, a lot of other Indians are going to fly and a lot of dreams are going to be fulfilled," he said. He also said the mission will open the "floodgates for human spaceflight in India". "The aim is that spaceflight experience should be available to an average person," he said. On the safety of the Axiom mission, Mr Pratap expressed full confidence in the Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon systems. "They've already proven themselves. The kind of levels of safety and reliability that they must have checked is unquestionably complete," he said. When asked if he felt disappointed about not being selected for the Axiom mission, Mr Pratap said, "Of course, when an opportunity like this comes up... you do feel at the end of the day that one opportunity is missed. But another aspect of being an astronaut is handling rejection. That is what makes the real character of an astronaut." "It doesn't really matter even for the Gaganyaan's first mission, whether I am the one who's flying or any one of the four of us, because all of us have got the same training and all of us are the true sons of the soil," he added.
Time of India
a day ago
- Science
- Time of India
CERN to space, I've always chased big questions: Sławosz Uznański
From being a particle physicist with a deep-rooted career at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) to preparing for a journey to the International Space Station (ISS), Polish engineer and ESA astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski embodies the fusion of science and exploration. Now set to fly on the Axiom-4 mission , he brings experience from CERN to the challenges of human spaceflight. As Poland's first representative on the ISS, much like India's Shubhanshu Shukla, his mission is not just scientific—it's symbolic. In an exclusive interview to TOI, he reflects on the intersections between particle physics and space exploration , the demands of astronaut training, and more. Excerpts: How do you see particle physics and space exploration intersecting in the future? With my experience at CERN, I've witnessed how particle physics can drive space exploration. Both fields address profound questions: what is the universe made of, how did it begin, and what is its fate? A key example is CERN's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) aboard the ISS, a major experiment probing cosmic origins. Technologies developed for particle accelerators—especially in radiation physics—are critical for astronaut safety on long-duration missions. Materials tested under extreme conditions at CERN are improving spacecraft durability, while autonomous systems developed for complex experiments are revolutionising remote mission operations. These advances also benefit Earth—enhancing medical treatments and sustainable technology. It's a thrilling time as innovation flows between science and space. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo What excites you most about being in ESA's astronaut reserve & how has it prepared you? The most exciting part is being at the cutting edge of space science, collaborating with brilliant minds across Europe. My engineering background, combined with training from ESA and scientific work at CERN, has prepared me well for the Ax-4 mission. Every element—from research to operations—has equipped me for human spaceflight. It's a privilege to contribute to such a mission and help shape the future of exploration. How do you transition from remote Earth expeditions to challenges in space? Outdoor exploration has taught me resilience, adaptability, and preparation—skills vital for spaceflight. Whether mountaineering or conducting zero-gravity experiments, it's about staying focused and solution-driven. The endurance built on Earth helps me embrace the demands of space. The drive behind my scientific and exploratory pursuits is the same: a passion for the unknown. I've always chased the big questions. What moment inspired your path toward the ISS? One pivotal moment was working at CERN on the LHC's powering systems, and later, as an Engineer in Charge. Operating the world's most complex scientific machine for a global community of researchers was profoundly motivating. Moving into space research and ISS collaboration felt like a natural next step. The Ax-4 mission is a continuation of that journey—using science to unlock universal mysteries and contribute to something larger than myself. How will your Ax-4 mission impact Poland's role in space research? Poland is steadily gaining momentum in space research, and the Ax-4 mission is a milestone. It showcases our scientific potential and inspires investment in STEM. By conducting space-based studies, we highlight Poland's contributions to international exploration. This mission isn't just about science—it's about inspiring future generations and positioning Poland as a serious space player. I'm proud to represent my country in its first mission to the ISS.
