Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla set for house journey in Could

Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla.
| Picture Credit score: Particular Association

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is ready to journey to the Worldwide House Station subsequent month as a part of an Axiom-4 mission, 4 a long time after Rakesh Sharma’s iconic spaceflight onboard Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft, Union Minister Jitendra Singh stated on Friday (April 18, 2025).

Mr. Singh made the remarks after reviewing the work of the Division of House and the Indian House Analysis Organisation (ISRO) in New Delhi.

“Group Captain Shukla’s journey is greater than only a flight – it is a sign that India is stepping boldly into a brand new period of house exploration,” Mr. Singh stated.

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan made a presentation on varied upcoming house missions.

ISRO is ready to launch the NISAR satellite tv for pc – developed collectively with NASA – in June on board the GSLV-Mark 2 rocket, Mr. Singh stated, including that in July the house company will put in orbit BlueBird Block-2 satellites of US-based AST SpaceMobile Inc. utilizing the heavy-lift LVM-3 rocket.

Mr. Singh stated Group Captain Shukla’s mission, scheduled for Could, marks a milestone in India’s increasing worldwide house collaborations.

A embellished take a look at pilot with the Indian Air Power, Group Captain Shukla was shortlisted below ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Program and is among the many prime contenders for the Gaganyaan mission.

His journey aboard the Axiom-4 mission is anticipated to supply essential hands-on expertise in spaceflight operations, launch protocols, microgravity adaptation, and emergency preparedness – all important for India’s crewed house ambitions, an official assertion stated.

“What units Shukla’s mission aside is its strategic significance. Not like the symbolic undertones of India’s first human spaceflight, this time the main focus is on operational readiness and world integration,” it stated.

The assertion stated Group Captain Shukla’s participation underscores India’s rising engagement with public-private worldwide partnerships in house and its resolve to emerge as a critical contender in human house exploration.

Mr. Singh stated the collaboration with worldwide companions and the strategic momentum of tasks like Gaganyaan mirror India’s dedication to changing into a world chief in house know-how.

The minister stated these efforts weren’t solely scientific in nature but additionally aligned with the imaginative and prescient of a developed and self- reliant India.

ISRO additionally plans to launch the PSLV-C61 mission carrying the EOS-09 satellite tv for pc, which is provided with a C-band artificial aperture radar, able to capturing high-resolution pictures of Earth’s floor below all climate situations, day or night time.

One other vital milestone would be the Take a look at Automobile-D2 (TV-D2) mission, designed to simulate an abort situation and reveal the Gaganyaan Crew Escape System.

The mission consists of sea restoration operations for the Crew Module, mimicking procedures deliberate for India’s first human spaceflight, he stated.