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The Hindu
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Letters to The Editor — June 28, 2025
Setting foot in space What an historic leap for India in space after decades (Front page, June 27). The cost of the Gaganyaan mission and the budget spent on Shubhanshu Shukla's seat on Ax-4 are not relevant if one considers the success rate of the Indian Space Research Organisation's missions. It must be viewed as an investment in advancing India's scientific progress. J.P. Reddy, Nalgonda, Telangana More importantly, the research work during the space odyssey is sure to rekindle scientific curiosity among schoolchildren. G. Ramasubramanyam, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh Tharoor versus Congress It is unfortunate that the Congress party appears to be intolerant of individual opinions within its ranks. There is a contrast between Shashi Tharoor's balanced perspective and the Congress critical stance toward the government at the Centre, which seems to be its primary agenda. Manicklal Chakraborty, Chennai Law and order I am sure that I am not making a mountain out of a molehill, but there is concern about the law and order problem in Tamil Nadu. The series of incidents that have been reported from across the State show Tamil Nadu in a bad light. The points that are being raised by the Opposition parties cannot be dismissed. The political dispensation needs to act. Mani Nataraajan, Chennai
India Today
a day ago
- Science
- India Today
Beyond sare jahan se achha: Shubhanshu Shukla ushers in India's new space age
Even in hindsight, it feels surreal. On Wednesday, an Indian was strapped into spacecraft atop a rocket and launched into space, with nine powerful rocket engines at the other end spitting fire, lifting him and his crewmates through the dense atmosphere of Earth on their journey to the International Space Station—orbiting our world at a distance of just over 400 Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the designated pilot of the mission, became only the second Indian to have ever been to space— over 40 years after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma breached Earth's gravity in 1984 aboard a Soyuz astronaut Shukla is also the first Indian to have docked with the International Space Station. The historic, technological, and operational significance of this mission cannot be understated. The Government of India and the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) have shown immense foresight in bringing this to reality through a strategic collaboration with NASA and the American private space-tech company Axiom Space. This partnership is symbolic of modern space exploration, where international cooperation and public-private partnerships are increasingly the for India's Human SpaceflightIndia has a long-term goal of achieving indigenous human spaceflight capabilities, as well as establishing an Indian space station in Earth's orbit. Isro is reconfiguring its most powerful launch vehicle, the LVM3, to meet the stringent human-rating requirements essential for the Gaganyaan Gaganyaan, the roadmap extends to the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), an Indian orbital outpost that will serve as a hub for research, technological development, and sustained human presence in crewed space missions are extraordinarily complex. They are not just technologically demanding, but operationally as well – from mission planning and astronaut training to life support systems management, and emergency response protocols; it demands extreme precision and redundancy. India needs to gather as much operational experience as it can before the planned Gaganyaan like Group Captain Shukla's are invaluable stepping stones on this journey. Collaborations with other national space agencies and private partners are critical during this Ax-4 crewmates made it safely aboard the @Space_Station today! It was a pleasure and an honor to monitor their approach and work the hatch opening.I also got a couple good photos as they caught up and approached from below the station!Welcome Peggy, Shux, Suave, and Nichole 'Vapor' Ayers (@Astro_Ayers) June 26, 2025For instance, after the careful selection of the four astronaut-designates – decorated Indian Air Force officers Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Prathap, and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla – India leveraged its strong diplomatic ties with Russia to provide them with extensive training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training included operating in zero-gravity conditions and survival training. They also underwent simulations in a centrifuge to expose them to the intense G-forces experienced during launch and re-entry, while hyperbaric chamber sessions prepared them for potential hypoxia (oxygen deprivation) and rapid pressure Captain Shukla and backup Group Captain Nair later flew to NASA's Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas, to undergo mission-specific training. This included familiarisation sessions with the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and various onboard systems of the International Space Station, as well as daily operational and communication are invaluable experiences the astronauts will bring to the table as India configures its crew module and prepares for the Gaganyaan Mission. The exposure and learnings from the US, home to the world's largest space-tech industry, will also inform India's own growing private space-tech cross-continental training regimen and mission expertise, spanning from Russia to the United States, is also a testament to India's unique international standing and approach to global this mission aboard a SpaceX rocket was realised through a partnership with Axiom Space, an organisation helmed by an Indian-origin CEO (Tejpaul Bhatia), adds another distinctly Indian connection to this Spark of Inspiration for Future GenerationsRakesh Sharma's historic flight in the 80s and his famous words, 'Sare Jahan Se Achha,' when asked by the then Prime Minister how India looked from space, are etched in the collective memory of the nation. It's a moment that has inspired many to become rocket scientists – including Captain Shukla's mission bridges the long intervening gap of over four decades, and represents India's strategic intent to become a self-reliant and leading player in near- and deep-space Shukla first Indian in International Space StationMoment of triumph for Group Captain 'Shux'#ISS #ShubhanshuShukla #ITVideo #Ax4 #Super6 | @Akshita_N @imsktripathi IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) June 26, 2025Even as it gathers immense data and learnings for Isro to iterate and improve its Gaganyaan Mission, having a man in space — one of our own — will spark a flame of renewed inspiration and ambition within India's an Indian astronaut amongst the stars once more will vividly demonstrate that audacious goals are achievable. India has lingered long enough on the shores of the cosmic ocean. We are now ready to set sail for the stars!(This is an authored article by Pawan Kumar Chandana. He is the Co-founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace)- EndsTune InMust Watch
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Former ISRO chief S Somanath joins Skyroot Aerospace as honorary chief technical advisor
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills Former Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO ) chairman S Somanath , who spearheaded the Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing mission, was appointed honorary chief technical advisor at Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace on a launch vehicle expert , will advise Skyroot as it prepares for the launch of its Vikram-1 launch vehicle. The 23-meter-tall rocket is India's first carbon-composite space launch vehicle and features a liquid-engine-powered Orbital Adjustment Module that will precisely manoeuvre in the vacuum for last-mile delivery of satellites. The upcoming launch builds on Skyroot's successful technology demonstration launch in 2022 with Vikram-S, India's first private rocket to reach space under the guidance of startup on Thursday also announced a key partnership with Axiom Space , which launched its fourth private mission to the ISS on June 25 that onboarded Group Captain Shubhanshu Houston-based company will explore utilising Skyroot's capabilities for research payloads, orbital data centre nodes, and other missions to Axiom Station and independently in LEO."Launching satellites to orbit—a feat accomplished by only a handful of companies globally—requires the coming together of the very best minds, especially as we attempt it for the very first time as a private space startup from India," said Pawan Kumar Chandana, cofounder of Skyroot former ISRO chief's new role is advisory and honorary, and the company clarified that it is non-exclusive. "With decades of experience in building multiple launch vehicles and leading some of India's most challenging space missions, his guidance will be invaluable as we gear up for the orbital launch of Vikram-1," Chandana his tenure as ISRO chairman (2022–2025), Somanath oversaw key missions such as Chandrayaan-3, Aditya-L1 (India's first solar observatory), the SSLV development, and the Reusable Launch Vehicle landing experiments.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Science
- The Hindu
ZeroG indicator Joy fifth ‘crew' member of Axiom-4 mission
A new 'crew' member of the Axiom-4 mission — a toy swan named Joy — was seen floating in the Dragon spacecraft as astronauts interacted with the mission control via a videolink on Thursday (June 26, 2025). Joy is the zero gravity indicator carried by the astronauts of the Axiom-4 mission which was selected because astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's son Kiash's love for animals. The tradition of flying a toy to mark the moment gravity gives way to weightlessness began with Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, and has since become a ritual in space missions. Also Read | Axiom-4 mission: Dragon spacecraft docks with International Space Station "We are here, not just the four of us, we also have with us our Zero-G indicator — Joy — that started to float with us just when we were injected into orbit. Joy is floating all over the capsule, sometimes we have to find him/ her here with us," Polish astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski said. Group Captain Shukla said the swan is a great symbol that symbolises wisdom and also has the ability to discern in the age of distraction. "This means a lot more than just a ZeroG indicator. I think we all have symbolism, in Poland and Hungary and India as well," Group Captain Shukla said. Joy, the baby swan, embodies the shared pursuit of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Hungarian to Orbit program (HUNOR) to soar high above our home planet, Axiom Space said in a statement. Also Read | Why does the Axiom-4 mission need 28 hours to reach the ISS? "In this way, Joy represents cultural unity as three nations realize the return to human spaceflight, together as one crew," it said. In India, it symbolizes wisdom and purity, representing the pursuit of truth. In Poland, the swan stands for purity, loyalty, and resilience, while in Hungary, it epitomizes loyalty, grace, and the beauty of nature. "By choosing a swan as the zero-g indicator, the Ax-4 crew celebrates the diversity of their cultures, united in the shared human experience of space exploration," Axiom Space said.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Zero Gravity indicator Joy is the fifth 'crew' member of Axiom-4 mission
During the Axiom-4 mission, a toy swan named Joy served as the zero-gravity indicator, selected due to astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's son's affection for animals. This tradition, started by Yuri Gagarin, symbolizes weightlessness in space. Joy represents cultural unity between India, Poland, and Hungary, embodying wisdom, purity, loyalty, and the shared pursuit of space exploration. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A new 'crew' member of the Axiom-4 mission - a toy swan named Joy - was seen floating in the Dragon spacecraft as astronauts interacted with the mission control via a videolink on is the zero gravity indicator carried by the astronauts of the Axiom-4 mission which was selected because astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla 's son Kiash's love for tradition of flying a toy to mark the moment gravity gives way to weightlessness began with Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, and has since become a ritual in space missions."We are here, not just the four of us, we also have with us our Zero-G indicator - Joy - that started to float with us just when we were injected into orbit. Joy is floating all over the capsule, sometimes we have to find him/ her here with us," Polish astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski said the swan is a great symbol that symbolises wisdom and also has the ability to discern in the age of distraction."This means a lot more than just a ZeroG indicator. I think we all have symbolism, in Poland and Hungary and India as well," Shukla the baby swan, embodies the shared pursuit of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Hungarian to Orbit program (HUNOR) to soar high above our home planet, Axiom Space said in a statement."In this way, Joy represents cultural unity as three nations realize the return to human spaceflight, together as one crew," it India, it symbolizes wisdom and purity, representing the pursuit of truth. In Poland, the swan stands for purity, loyalty, and resilience, while in Hungary, it epitomizes loyalty, grace, and the beauty of nature."By choosing a swan as the zero-g indicator, the Ax-4 crew celebrates the diversity of their cultures, united in the shared human experience of space exploration ," Axiom Space said.
