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Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Lucknow's Shubhanshu Shukla set for space history
Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be the first Lucknowite in space. The historic moment will come when Axiom Space's fourth commercial mission to the International Space Station lifts off onboard SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida (USA) on Wednesday evening. The lift-off was initially scheduled for Tuesday but was postponed by a day due to weather conditions. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday informed that the launch of Axiom-4 mission for sending Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS) has been postponed from June 10. ISRO cited weather conditions for the postponement of the Axiom-4 or Ax4 mission, which will now take off on June 11 with the targeted time of launch being 5:30 pm (8 am EST). Ahead of the lift-off, his mother Asha Shukla and father Shambhu Dayal Shukla, who live in the state capital's Triveni Nagar, said, 'It's a proud moment for the family. First, he got selected into NDA (National Defence Academy), the air force and ISRO. All these happened one after the other.' 'We are praying for the success of the mission which our son is leading and which holds enormous importance for the country,' Shambhu Dayal Shukla further said. Shubhanshu's elder sister Shuchi Misra said, 'We are eagerly looking forward to the launch. Shux (Shubhanshu's nickname) is incredibly focused yet brimming with joy. Before news of the postponement came, Shubhanshu Shukla's alma mater – a prominent city school – had planned to organise a grand public watch party to celebrate the lift-off. 'We will begin our programme at 3.30 pm on Wednesday as the mission launch has been postponed,' a school official said. The programme was initially planned for Tuesday to enable students, teachers, civic leaders, defence personnel and Shukla's family members to participate. Several hoardings congratulating the 39-year-old Lucknow-born Indian Air Force pilot have come up across the state capital. Shubhanshu will pilot the SpaceX Crew Dragon with NASA senior Dr Peggy Whitson and crewmates from Poland and Hungary on a 14-day research flight. The Lucknow-born Shubhanshu Shukla will be the second Indian to travel to space, 41 years after his idol Rakesh Sharma undertook a spaceflight in 1984 onboard the erstwhile Soviet Union's Soyuz spacecraft for an eight-day stay in orbit. In March 2024, Shukla made headlines as he was one of the four selected for ISRO's Gaganyaan Mission. 'Venturing into the unknown comes with the domain knowledge of being a test pilot,' Shubhanshu Shukla had told HT over phone in 2024. Shukla had then confessed that the curiosity for the unknown was what drove him to apply for this mission and that the feeling of having been selected took a while to sink in. 'It was all so fast and we were so busy at the time. It only sunk in when we had already left for training in Russia. The feeling sank in very gradually,' he had said. He also shared that while he had no apprehensions about the mission, 'harbouring a little bit of anxiety is only sensible as it helps one to introspect.' (WITH AGENCY INPUTS)
Hindustan Times
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Lucknow-based The Secret of Devkaali writer Neha Soni to debut with direction soon
Lucknow-based writer Neha Soni, known for her feature film The Secret of Devkaali, is set to make her directorial debut. After gaining experience in various departments of the film industry, the Lucknowite now has three scripts she is eager to bring to life as a director. During a recent visit to her home city, she shares, "I have pitched one of my scripts, Hasrat, to actor Sanjay Mishra, and he liked it. It's a love triangle involving an elderly couple, and I am keen to direct it. Throughout my work in the industry, I have gradually refined my skills and remained focused. I have assisted behind the camera and worked in the production department as well, and now I want to take on the direction as well." Neha recalls the initial discouragement she faced when considering a career in the film industry, "My friends and relatives discouraged me on joining the film industry and they gave multiple examples about it but thankfully my parents gave me full support. Somewhere my well-wishers were not wrong but then it depends on how we take up things. It is surely tough for females but that's in every field,' she says. Going ahead with her writing projects, she adds, "I wrote Gucci Ke Joote, which is currently in pre-production with actor Annu Kapoor. I penned the dialogues for Yatrigan Dhayan Dein, a film addressing gutka addiction featuring Markrand Deshpande, which is slated for release soon. Additionally, I adapted a Pakistani singer's book into the script for the musical film Band of Maharajas, which has garnered international attention. This year, I had films Shaila, based in Kashmir, and The Secret of Devkaali released, and we are currently in discussions for a sequel to the latter," she revealed. Originally from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Neha moved to Lucknow after her father's transfer. "I am married to Ajay Soni, an actor based in Lucknow, and we reside in Gomti Nagar Extension, frequently traveling between Lucknow and Mumbai," she says. Talking about her journey Neha, states, "After completing my MBA, I started my career as a banker. However, since my college days, I enjoyed writing shayari, songs, and stories in my own style. While it might be considered 'copy', I would reinterpret existing works in my own words, which eventually led to a job writing blogs. During the pandemic, I began creating vlogs, sketches, short stories, and even wrote for TVF's show Girlyapa. I received a job offer in Mumbai, but it was for a C-grade show, which I declined. I then met Sanjay Chauhan, the writer-director of I Am Kalam (2010), who became my mentor. My book Agar Tum Sath Ho was adapted into the TV show Na Umar Ki Seema Ho."
