Latest news with #ShubhanshuShukla
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Science
- Indian Express
From Orbiter Columbia to Discovery: Here are the top 5 biggest space shuttles
The Space Shuttle, as National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) describes, represented an 'entirely new generation of space vehicle,' the world's first reusable spacecraft, which were 'launched like a rocket, maneuvered in Earth's orbit like a spacecraft and landed like an airplane.' There are about three Space Shuttle orbiters currently in operation – Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour, which are all designed to fly at least 100 missions, NASA stated on its website. As India takes a step ahead in its space program, with Shubhanshu Shukla heading to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Axiom-4 mission this week, we take a look at the top five biggest space shuttles operated from all corners of the world: Orbiter Enterprise An early Space Shuttle Orbiter, the Enterprise, never flew in space but was 'used for approach and landing tests at the Dryden Flight Research Center and several launch pad studies in the late 1970s,' according to the website. Orbiter Columbia America's first reusable Space Shuttle, Columbia was launched for the first time with NASA astronauts John Young and Bob Crippen aboard on April 12, 1981. The space shuttle continued the heritage of intrepid exploration, becoming one of groundbreaking scientific research and notable 'firsts' in space flight, as per NASA. Commander John Young even called the flight 'something just short of a miracle.' It was delivered to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida, in March 1979. One of its crowning moments remain the deployment of the gleaming Chandra X-ray Observatory in July 1999, which specialized in viewing deep space objects and finding the answers to astronomy's most fundamental questions. However, it had some limitations. The heaviest of NASA's orbiters, Columbia weighed too much and lacked the necessary equipment to assist with the assembly of the ISS. Moreover, Columbia and its crew were tragically lost during STS-107 in 2003 after a small portion of foam broke away from the external fuel tank and hit the orbiter's left wing, NASA noted. The consequential damage created a hole in the wing's leading edge, causing the vehicle to break apart during re-entry to Earth's atmosphere. Orbiter Challenger Next in line is the Orbiter Challenger, which was built to serve as a test vehicle for the Space Shuttle program. Being the second orbiter to join NASA's Space Shuttle fleet, OV-099 arrived at NASA's KSC in Florida in July 1982, bearing the name 'Challenger.' Launched on her maiden voyage on April 4, 1983, Challenger saw the deployment of the first satellite in the Tracking and Data Relay System constellation, besides other scientific experiments and satellite deployments. Challenger's service to America's space program ended in tragedy on January 28, 1986 when just 73 seconds into the mission STS 51-L, a booster failure caused an explosion that resulted in the loss of seven astronauts, as well as the vehicle, the official website of NASA noted. Orbiter Discovery Discovery (OV-103) was NASA's third space shuttle orbiter to join the fleet, arriving for the first time at the KSC in Florida in November 1983. Since its inaugural flight in 1984, Discovery has completed more than 30 successful missions, surpassing the number of flights made by any other orbiter in NASA's fleet. It has carried 'satellites aloft, ferried modules and crew to the International Space Station, and provided the setting for countless scientific experiments,' as the NASA states. This Orbiter clearly benefited from the lessons learned during the construction and testing of Enterprise, Columbia and Challenger, such that at rollout, its weight was about 6,870 pounds less than Columbia. Orbiter Atlantis Another Orbiter which learnt its lessons from Enterprise, Columbia and Challenger was the Atlantis (OV-104), whose construction was completed in about half the time in man-hours spent on Columbia. Nearly 3.5 tons lighter than Columbia, the orbiter arrived at NASA's KSC on April 9, 1985, NASA mentioned. Atlantis served as the on-orbit launch site for various noteworthy spacecraft, including planetary probes Magellan and Galileo, as well as pioneered the Shuttle-Mir missions, flying the first seven missions to dock with the Russian space station, NASA highlighted. It has also delivered several vital components to the ISS in the recent years. Orbiter Endeavour Authorized as a replacement for the Space Shuttle orbiter Challenger, Endeavour (OV-105) arrived at the KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility on May 7, 1991. One of the space shuttle's primary assignments was to capture INTELSAT VI, an orbiting, but non-functioning, communications satellite, and replace its rocket motor. After numerous attempts, the satellite was finally captured for repair. 'An unprecedented three-person spacewalk took place after the procedure was evaluated by the astronauts and ground team,' NASA states. The crew onboard also conducted medical tests assessing the human body's performance in microgravity. It was the first time when four spacewalks were conducted on a Space Shuttle mission, with one of them being the longest in space history, lasting more than eight hours. NASA underlines, 'OV-105 became the first Space Shuttle orbiter to use a drag chute during a landing — only one of many technical improvements made to Endeavour.'
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First Post
3 hours ago
- Science
- First Post
This Week in Explainers: What will Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla do in space?
Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has become the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS) on the Axiom-4 Mission. As he and his three other colleagues adjust to microgravity, what will they do during their 14-day stay in space? All this and more in our weekly roundup read more Visiting crew in dark blue, Axiom Space's Peggy Whitson, left, Hungary's Tibor Kapu, 2nd left, India's Shubhanshu Shukla, center, and Poland's Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, center right, aboard the International Space Station, June 26, 2025. Nasa via AP It was a week of pride for India. Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has become the first Indian to go to the International Space Station (ISS) on the Axiom-4 Mission (Ax-4). He flew to space on board SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket that blasted off from Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The UK Royal Navy's F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet continues to be stranded in Kerala, two weeks after it made an emergency landing. The aircraft is parked in an open space at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A blockbuster weight-loss drug, Wegovy, has entered the Indian market. Weight-loss jabs have taken the world by storm. Their popularity has grown as they effectively help people lose weight. Here is all this and more in our weekly wrap from India. 1. Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla , along with three other crew members of the Axiom-4 mission, reached the ISS on the Crew Dragon spacecraft after a 28-hour journey around the Earth. With this, Shukla became only the second Indian to go to space. From Earth to orbit, cultures, crews, and missions unite 250 miles above our world. A heartfelt welcome to the #Ax4 crew as they join Expedition 73 aboard the International @Space_Station. — NASA's Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) June 26, 2025 In his first message from space, the Indian astronaut described his journey as a 'wonderful ride'. Shukla and his team will spend 14 days on the International Space Station and carry out dozens of experiments. But what are these? We take a look here . STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 2. The British Royal Navy's F-35B Lightning jet is grounded at Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. The aircraft made an emergency landing on the night of June 14 as it was low on fuel and encountered bad weather. The advanced fifth-generation fighter jet is part of the UK Royal Navy's aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales. According to the Indian Air Force (IAF), the British plane was 'undertaking routine flying outside of the Indian Air Defence Identification Zone' when it faced problems and Thiruvananthapuram was 'earmarked as the emergency recovery field'. But even after two weeks, why has the jet not left India yet? Read our story to know more. 3. Indian-origin Zohran Mamdani will script history by becoming New York City's mayor. The 33-year-old has defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the NYC Democratic primary election. If elected, Mamdani will be New York's first Muslim and Indian-American mayor. His stunning victory over Cuomo has brought one of his old posts about a politician from Kerala — Arya Rajendran — to the limelight. But who is she? Why did Mamdani retweet a post about her? Here's our story . STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 4. Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk has launched its weight-loss drug Wegovy in India. Semaglutide, marketed under the brand name Wegovy, is a prescription drug to tackle obesity and reduce cardiovascular risks. The launch comes just a few months after the US-based pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly, introduced Mounjaro in India. Chemically known as tirzepatide, it is a diabetes and weight-loss drug. As Wegovy makes its way to the Indian market, we take a look at how it works and compare it with Mounjaro . 5. India's iconic Kolhapuri chappals have made it to the international stage. Prada exhibited its Men's Spring Summer 2026 collection with its models seen walking the runway wearing the 'toe ring sandals'. The visuals drew the ire of netizens, who criticised Prada for not giving credit to India for the footwear choice. From Louis Vuitton's Snakes and Ladders runway to Chanel's nod to sarees, India has always 'inspired' fashion across the world. We take a look here. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 6. The gang rape of a 24-year-old law student in West Bengal has shocked the state. Three people have been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting the student inside the law college premises in South Kolkata on June 25. The case has triggered a political furore in Bengal, with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slamming the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the law and order situation. The saffron party has also raked up the RG Kar rape-murder case to target the Mamata Banerjee-led government. Here's how the horrific gang rape of the law student came to light. 7. A Chennai techie's obsessive love turned ugly when she committed dark crimes to implicate her love interest. After the man she loved married another woman, Rene Joshilda allegedly used her tech skills to frame him by sending hoax bomb threats across 12 states. Rene Joshilda is accused of sending hoax bomb threats. Image Courtesy: X The 30-year-old used allegedly fake email IDs, virtual private networks (VPNs), and the dark web to stay off the radar. However, a small mistake by the robotics engineer proved to be her undoing, leading to her arrest. What happened? Read our story to find out. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is all we have for you this week. If you like how we explain news, you can bookmark this page .
India Today
4 hours ago
- Science
- India Today
Wake up Isro! You forgot to celebrate your own astronaut
For four decades, India had been waiting in silence for its next big humanised space moment after the launch of Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma. That moment finally came on June 25–26, 2025, as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla docked with the International Space science journalists celebrated this humongous achievement, his family watched with tears of joy, and parts of India witnessed the moment with pride. Something was missing - rather, someone was Indian Space Research Organisation, our very own Isro, was surprisingly mute. It wasn't just surprising for me to see Isro completely missing from the picture when it came to promoting its own astronaut. It was regularly covered the beat, I know how the Indian space agency functions - in silos and behind closed that's not all - access has been further restricted, media interactions are limited, and mission details are sometimes shared just days before launch on a website that still reminds you of the early years of the World Wide urgently needs to wake up to the harsh realities of modern media and public engagement, as its near-silent approach to celebrating Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's historic Axiom-4 mission starkly 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, 2025advertisementWhile Shukla's 14-day stint aboard the International Space Station marks a monumental leap for India's human spaceflight ambitions and directly supports the upcoming Gaganyaan mission, which he repeatedly said in his messages, Isro's muted communication strategy has severely blunted the buzz and national pride this achievement should have mission is a milestone not just for Shukla or the Indian Air Force, but for India's stature in the global space community, now effectively part of our soft launch to docking — everything you need to know about Axiom-4's journey to the International Space Station.#ITVideo #ShubhanshuShukla #Axiom4Mission | @Akshita_N @imsktripathi IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) June 25, 2025Yet, unlike the widespread fanfare and media saturation that accompanied Chandrayaan-3's triumphant lunar landing, Isro's promotional silence has left the public largely unaware or underwhelmed by this historic Indian Air Force and a few political leaders issued congratulatory messages, but Isro itself refrained from capitalising on the moment to build sustained excitement or public engagement. The first tweet, bare-bones in nature, came a day after Axiom-4 launched. Isro is yet to give a detailed breakdown of the scientific studies and experiments that have been sent, except for a couple of media interactions that were lined up by the Axiom team before strategic misstep risks undermining the momentum crucial for Gaganyaan, India's ambitious crewed spaceflight mission planned for 2027. Public enthusiasm and national pride are not mere vanity; they fuel political will, funding, and inspire the next generation of scientists and lessons Isro learned from Chandrayaan-3 - how to create a media spectacle that captivates the nation - appear squandered. The agency's failure to aggressively promote Shukla's mission reduces its impact to a footnote rather than a defining chapter in India's space Isro continues this low-key approach, it jeopardises not only the outreach and support for Gaganyaan but also risks ceding the narrative to foreign agencies and commercial space ambitions deserve a bold, confident media strategy that celebrates achievements loudly and widely. Otherwise, the nation's space program may struggle to capture the imagination and backing it critically time for Isro to wake up and own the media narrative is now - before the window for inspiring a billion hearts closes.(Sibu Tripathi heads the Science team at India Today Digital. He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism award.)- Ends(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Must Watch
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Science
- Time of India
Axiom-4: Crew settles in, Shubhanshu Shukla will sleep in Dragon
Axiom-4: Crew settles in, Shubhanshu Shukla will sleep in Dragon BENGALURU: Several hours after the Axiom-4 crew entered the International Space Station (ISS) and settled in, the seven 'Expedition 73' crew members are helping Peggy Whitson , Shubhanshu Shukla (Shux), Slawosz Uznanski and Tibor Kapu familiarise themselves with orbital lab systems and prepare for their microgravity research . 'The Axiom-4 and Expedition 73 crews are now living and working together aboard the orbital outpost and preparing for new space research and the departure of a cargo ship,' Nasa said. Post docking, the Axiom-4 crew spent the rest of Thursday setting up their sleeping quarters, with Peggy located in the 'Airlock', Shux in 'Dragon', Uznanski in 'Columbus', and Tibor in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). They completed handover activities with the Expedition 73 crew and began acclimating to life in microgravity. Key operational tasks were also completed, including unpacking cargo in Dragon and reviewing emergency protocols. The crew has also been briefed on standard orbital safety procedures and the location of station's emergency equipment. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo On Friday, Peggy and the team quickly got to work unloading sample-packed hardware and portable science freezers from inside Dragon for installation in station incubators and research refrigerators ahead of upcoming experiments. Station safety hardware was also temporarily transferred inside Dragon as is customary for visiting spacecraft. The Axiom-4 quartet later joined the Expedition 73 crew for more safety reviews to learn their roles and responsibilities and communication protocols with mission controllers in the unlikely event of an emergency on the orbital outpost. Expedition 73 kept up its daily research schedule with a space exercise study , eye exams, and lunar photography. Cargo transfers and life support maintenance rounded out the crew's day. Nasa flight engineer Anne McClain spent her day assisting the Axiom-4 crewmates with their station familiarisation duties and cargo transfers. Peggy, who shared a photograph of Earth, said: 'I've missed this view.'
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket creates nebula-like ring in night sky
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. During the early hours of June 25, 2025, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off into space, headed for the International Space Station. The launch was part of the private Axiom-4 space mission carrying four astronauts on SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. The Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket that often carries cargo, Starlink satellites, or crew members in its corresponding Dragon spacecraft. Its reusable system aligns with SpaceX's mission to make spaceflight less costly, and thus more accessible. When the rocket's first stage booster returns to Earth for launch site landings, the stage's boost back burn can sometimes create these plumes of exhaust high in the atmosphere. The Falcon 9 rocket launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and is currently headed for the International Space Station. The Ax-4 launch is a mission of "firsts," as it carried the first ever-people from India, Hungary and Poland into space, including pilot Shubhanshu Shukla and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu. Leading the team is former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, currently Axiom's director of human spaceflight. Ax-4 was not easy to get off the ground, however. The mission faced two weeks of delays since its original launch date of June 11, 2025. These delays were caused by high winds as well as leaks on both the launch vehicle and the ISS. But finally, on the morning of June 25, 2025, the Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched, ferrying the crew toward the ISS. Once there, the astronauts will spend two weeks in orbit and conduct over 60 experiments before returning back to Earth. You can read more about the Ax-4 mission and SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket as the private spaceflight sector continues to expand into our night skies.
