Latest news with #Axion04
India.com
a day ago
- Science
- India.com
Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's wife opens up about his school days, childhood, says he was a...
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla stands on the cusp of history as he prepares to set off on a space odyssey, marking India's return to space flight 41 years after his idol Rakesh Sharma orbited the Earth for eight days as part of the Soviet Union's Interkosmos programme. Lucknow-born Shukla, who goes by the call sign 'Shuks', is part of an ISRO-NASA-supported commercial spaceflight by Axiom Space which is expected to lift off for a 14-day sojourn to the International Space Station from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Wednesday evening. However, the highly anticipated Axion 04 mission, which was set to launch on Wednesday after a series of earlier delays, was postponed once again due to a leak detected in the propulsion bay during a pre-launch test. Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, Shukla possesses fluency in both English and his native Hindi. His journey began when he was commissioned into the IAF fighter wing in June 2006. As a combat leader and seasoned test pilot, he boasts an impressive 2,000 hours of flight experience across various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. His ascent to the rank of group captain in March 2024 reflects his exceptional contributions. In a conversation with The Times of India(TOI) just days before the scheduled launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Kamna offered a heartfelt perspective on the journey. According to the TOI report, his wife Kamna, shared that Shubhanshu's dream of going to space began in 2020. She remembered that it was early in 2020 when the possibility of Shukla going to space began to feel real. At the time, one of the key requirements for the Gaganyaan mission was being a test pilot—something that applied to a very small, close-knit group. 'One of the criteria for Gaganyaan aspirants was that they had to be test pilots. It's such a small community that we were elated, because whoever it may be, he would be known to us. That small idea has become an incredible reality now,' Kamna was quoted as saying by TOI. At home, Shux is known for his disciplined lifestyle and calm determination. He enjoys staying fit, reading non-fiction, and spending playful moments with his six-year-old son. Yet behind this steady routine lies a bold spirit—one that made the remarkable leap from the secure life of a fighter pilot to the uncertain and demanding realm of space exploration. While speaking to the Times of India, Kamna stated, 'He loves his workouts, non-fiction books, to goof around with his six-year-old son. But when you talk about his fearlessness, he's taken immense risks. He left his life as a fighter pilot and stepped into the uncharted world of spaceflight. From making decisions in microseconds to doing delicate experiments in micrograms—it's a complete shift.' What she finds most remarkable about him isn't his trip to space, but rather his inner quiet strength. It's his extreme conviction – a way of thinking that does not allow him to quit. He goes back to simple wisdom, like Dory in Finding Nemo: 'Just keep swimming.' He retains a sharp focus on how to go forward, no matter how bad, he is very adept at problem solving in even the direst situation – thats where his brilliant mind shines. Regarding the rest of the Ax-4 crew, Kamna noted that their relationship has developed way beyond that of colleagues. She believes they are now bound as lifelong friends, sharing the unique experience of living and working together in microgravity. 'They call themselves friends for life. Their experience in microgravity will bind them forever. I'm so glad Shux found these friends—and all of them adore our son Sid,' she stated. Kamna and Shukla's tale goes back to their early school days; they have known each other since primary class, and they shared classrooms from Class 3 onwards. With the years they had in common, they gradually morphed into close friends. She recalls him as the quiet, shy student who faded into the backdrop. It's that same soft-spoken boy whom many now articulate as Shubhanshu, 'who's now inspiring so many people.' Being married to someone pursuing such an extraordinary mission inevitably involves long separations and moments lost to time. The emotional weight of missed milestones—particularly not being there for their son Sid's early years—has not been easy. It's something that has quietly left its mark, especially on Shubhanshu, for whom those absences are deeply felt. The journey, while inspiring, has demanded personal sacrifices that linger beneath the surface, shaping their shared experience with both pride and quiet ache.
India.com
2 days ago
- Science
- India.com
Rs 5500000000 on Shubhanshu Shukla; here's how much India spent on its first astronaut Rakesh Sharma, where is he and what is he doing now?
Rs 5500000000 on Shubhanshu Shukla; here's how much India spent on its first astronaut Rakesh Sharma, where is he and what is he doing now? The highly anticipated Axion 04 mission, which was set to launch on Wednesday after a series of earlier delays, has been postponed once again due to a leak detected in the propulsion bay during a pre-launch test, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Wednesday. The mission, operated by the US-based Axiom Space, was scheduled to carry Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla along with three international crew members to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The launch was to take place from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 11 at 8 a.m. (5.30 p.m. IST). It had previously been deferred multiple times — from its original launch date of May 29 to June 8, then June 10 and June 11. 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. Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is not the first Indian to go to space. Prior to him, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma made history. In 1984, Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian in space, spending nearly 7 days, 21 hours, and 40 minutes aboard the Soviet space station Salyut 7 as part of a joint Indo-Soviet mission. When asked by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi how India looked from space , he famously replied , ' Saare Jahan Se Achha . ' It was an incredibly proud moment in the history of Indian space. 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. Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's seat on the Axiom-4 mission is costing India ₹550 crore. But back in 1984, when Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to go to space, India didn't spend any money on his trip. His entire mission aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 spacecraft was paid for by the Soviet Union under its Interkosmos program — a generous gesture that showed the strong bond between the two countries.
