‘Evidence Of India's Progress': Neil deGrasse Tyson Applauds Shubhanshu Shukla's Historic Flight
American astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson hailed Indian Air Force pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's journey into space as a milestone not just for India but for all of humanity.
Speaking to CNN-News18, Neil deGrasse Tyson said, 'It is evidence of India's progress in space. We can think of this as a stepping stone which helps psychologically and emotionally, as it helps pry open opportunities that follow- including India's own mission to space."
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla blasted off aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida- from the same launchpad that carried Apollo 11 and Neil Armstrong to the Moon in 1969. His mission marks a major leap for India's space ambitions as he becomes the second Indian astronaut to travel to space, following Rakesh Sharma's 1984 mission with the Soviet Union.
Shubhanshu Shukla, who spent more than a month in quarantine to ensure mission readiness, is piloting the Axiom-4 mission alongside Commander Peggy Whitson of the US and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The four-member crew is en route to the International Space Station, where they will spend two weeks conducting 60 scientific experiments, including seven proposed by Indian researchers.
'We're back in space after 41 years and what an amazing ride it's been," he said, adding, 'Right now, we are orbiting Earth at a speed of 7.5km per second. On my shoulder, I carry the Indian flag. This is not the start of my journey to the ISS, this is the beginning of India's human spaceflight. I welcome all my fellow Indians to be a part of this journey and feel proud and excited."
First Published:
June 25, 2025, 21:34 IST
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