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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Nostalgia hits hard: 41 years after Rakesh Sharma's 'saare jahan se acha', Shubhanshu Shukla calls India 'majestic' from space
NEW DELHI: India witnessed a deja vu moment on Saturday after Axiom-4 pilot Shubhanshu Shukla interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi from International Space Station and claimed that "India looks truly majestic from the space" 41 years ago, astronaut Rakesh Sharma , first Indian to go into space, had said "saare jahan se acha Hindustan humara" when former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had asked him how India looks from space. Sharma was part of the Soviet Union's Soyuz T-11 expedition, which was launched on April 2, 1984. The video relives a conversation between the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Sharma. The astronaut spoke to Indira Gandhi from space during a joint television news conference, which also included officials in Moscow. Conversation between Indira Gandhi and Rakesh Sharma Shukla went a step further and proclaimed the message of "oneness" and " Unity in Diversity." "The thing that really stood out was when I saw India for the first time from space. India looks truly majestic and much larger than what we perceive on maps. The feeling of oneness that the Earth gives, the very essence of our motto 'Unity in Diversity', becomes deeply meaningful when seen from above," Shukla said while interacting with PM Modi. "One realize that borders don't really exist, states don't exist, countries don't exist in that view. Ultimately, we are all part of humanity, and Earth is our one shared home. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo We are all its citizens," he added. During the interaction, Shukla also said that this journey is not his but of whole nation. "Thank you, PM Modi, for your wishes and the wishes of 140 crore Indians. I am fine and safe here. I am feeling very good, this is a new journey is not only mine but the journey of the whole nation," Shukla said. "Under your leadership, today's India offers numerous opportunities to fulfil their dreams...I am feeling very proud to represent India here," he added. The Dragon capsule carrying the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) crew, including Group Captain Shukla, successfully docked with the International Space Station on Thursday, marking a historic milestone as the first Indian to reach the orbiting laboratory. Shukla is the first Indian to cross the 'Karman line' in more than 41 years, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma's historic mission aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 The spacecraft completed soft docking at 16: 02 IST, with full docking achieved by 16:16 IST. Launched a day earlier from Nasa's Kennedy Space Center, the capsule followed a standard 28-hour Dragon mission profile, executing a series of precise orbit-raising manoeuvres as it chased down the ISS, a routine flight for the capsule, but a landmark moment for Shukla and Indian spaceflight history.
News18
7 hours ago
- Science
- News18
International Space Station: Why Is Every Astronaut Given A Number?
Last Updated: As Shubhanshu Shukla reached the ISS, he was assigned a unique number. But why are astronauts given these numbers? Here's what they mean and how they're used India's Shubhanshu Shukla spent his first night aboard the International Space Station (ISS), alongside astronauts from three other nations. Upon his arrival, he was assigned a unique crew number. But what exactly is the purpose of this number, and why is it issued to every newcomer? This identifier isn't just a formality; it plays a vital role in everything from logging medical data to coordinating spacewalks, especially when names and faces are hard to distinguish in bulky suits. Did Kalpana Chawla And Sunita Williams Have Crew Numbers? Yes, both Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams were assigned crew numbers prior to Shubhanshu Shukla. Each astronaut on the ISS is given a specific crew ID and position number. However, during day-to-day interactions, they are addressed by name. These identifiers are used in certain operational contexts. To date, around 640 individuals have been to space, with roughly 30 to 35 making the journey more than once. People from over 45 countries have participated in space missions. Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian to travel to space aboard the Soyuz T-11 in 1984. Kalpana Chawla, who later became a US citizen, was the first Indian woman in space. Why Are Crew Numbers Used? These numbers primarily serve security and system-logging purposes. The ISS contains various systems that log medical updates and activity records. For example, during health checks, emergency simulations, or scientific experiments, astronauts must enter their crew ID to access equipment or input data. During extravehicular activities (EVAs), or spacewalks, each astronaut's suit displays a number such as EVA-1 or EVA-2. Since facial recognition is difficult while suited up, Mission Control and crewmates use these numbers for identification. These are especially useful when multiple astronauts have similar names or accents. However, on board the ISS, astronauts typically call one another by name, fostering a relaxed, collegial atmosphere. However, during formal communication with ground control, whether with NASA or Roscosmos, crew call signs or numbers are occasionally used, especially during high-stakes operations like spacewalks. When Was Crew Numbers Introduced? In the early space missions of the 1960s, astronauts were simply addressed by name or mission call sign. But by the 1970s, with longer, more complex missions to space stations, it became clear that a more systematic method of identification was needed. Numbering helped avoid confusion when recognising faces inside helmets or communicating clearly via radio across multilingual crews. NASA introduced the EVA-1, EVA-2 format during the Space Shuttle era in the 1980s. With up to eight astronauts per mission, these identifiers were critical. Once the ISS became operational in 1998, the practice became standardised for all spacewalks and vital crew activities. Did Rakesh Sharma Receive A Crew number? Rakesh Sharma was not given a crew number as per today's system. His 1984 mission was designated Soyuz T-11, with the crew using the call sign 'Jupiter'. At that time, Soviet missions referred to astronauts by name or collective mission identifiers. Kalpana Chawla flew aboard STS-87 in 1997 but did not perform any spacewalks, so she was designated Mission Specialist-1 (MS-1) rather than an EVA number. Sunita Williams, on the other hand, participated in four spacewalks during her STS-116 mission and was assigned identifiers like EVA-1 and EVA-2 for those activities. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated!
India Today
a day ago
- Science
- India Today
From Sharma to Shukla, night lights reveal India's transformation over the years
In April 1984, when Rakesh Sharma stayed in space for around a week, he saw India from up there like no other Indian had before him. Forty-one years later, when Shubhanshu Shukla looks at India from the International Space Station, he would have an entirely different view of the country, especially of the night-time a live broadcast with then Prime Minister IndiraGandhi, when asked how India looked from space, Sharma replied: "Saare Jahan Se Achcha".That India looked better than the rest was a patriotic expression that is remembered to this day. But if Sharma happened to travel to space today, his pride would shine like the night-time lights now do across satellite images of India have been publicly accessible since the 2000s, as earlier satellite cameras were not advanced enough to capture such lights, as captured from space, represent the intensity of artificial lights on the earth's surface. They are an indication of development activities and socio-economic changes, including urbanisation. The night-time satellite images of India from 2012 and 2023 show a significant increase in electrification. (Images: NASA) In the 1980s, when Sharma went to space aboard the Soyuz T-11 spacecraft, cameras weren't as evolved as they are today. Eyes in the sky that would capture the earth's images were few and far is why there aren't many images of night-time India as seen from space from that era. However, images from the last two decades are available, and show how India has such study was carried out by the Indian Space Research Organisation's (Isro's) National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC). Night-time satellite images from 2012, 2013, and 2014 reveal India's steady surge in electrification and urban glow. (Images: NASA) The NRSC carried out a 10-year trend analysis of such a change and depicted it in an atlas titled 'Decadal (2012-2021) Change of Night Time Light over India from Space'.Overall, a 43% increase was observed in the radiance of night-time lights (NTL) in 2021 from 2012. "Significant increase was observed in Bihar, Manipur, Ladakh and Kerala," according to the NTL atlas released in November radiance of night lights as observed from space doesn't just show developments, it also marks disruptions."In most of the states, a fall in NTL cumulative radiance was observed in the year 2020, and this could be the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic," according to the NTL atlas. Night-time satellite images from 2016, 2018, and 2020 reveal India's rapid penetration of electrification. (Images: NASA) INDIA LOOKS AMAZING FROM SPACE: SUNITA WILLIAMSIndian-American astronaut Sunita Williams shared that India's diverse terrain looks "amazing" from ended up staying in space for months against the planned 8 days as her ride back -- Boeing's Starliner -- malfunctioned."India is amazing," she said in April, adding, "Every time we went over the Himalayas, we got incredible pictures. It happened like a ripple and flows down into India."She highlighted the rich colours visible from orbit, particularly as the landscape transitions into Gujarat and the day, large cities like Delhi, Sao Paulo, or Lagos show greyish patches due to concrete and day-time images also reveal urban sprawl and changes in land-use patterns, the shining brilliance of transformation is better visible in images of night-time lights. Satellite images from 1984 to 2022 show Delhi's rapid urban expansion, with the bottom-left revealing Indira Gandhi International Airport's transformation from a single runway to a four-runway hub. (Video: Google Earth Engine/Screengrab)HOW INDIA LOOKS FROM SPACE AT NIGHT?Satellites, which send back the images, are either stationed or orbit the earth at a greater distance than the ISS, where Shubhanshu Shukla is stationed for 14 ISS, just like the Salyut 7 where Rakesh Sharma carried out experiments, is in the lower earth orbit (LEO). The Salyut 7 was the last space station in the Soviet Union's Salyut program before the launch of the Mir space station. India's night lights in 2021, 2022, and NASA's latest 2023 image, a glowing snapshot of the nation's present form. (Images: NASA) Night-time satellite images available in the public domain from 2012 show a massively transformed would be safe to assume that the biggest transformation would have come after the 90s, when India opened up its we can only guess how night-time India must have looked to Rakesh Sharma, images are available to show how the country would be visible to Shubhanshu Shukla. The two images of India -- a country that is Saare Jahan Se Achcha -- would be starkly different.- EndsThe photos were curated by Rahul Kumar, Senior Photo Researcher at India Today Digital. advertisement
Mint
2 days ago
- Science
- Mint
Space mission Axiom 4: The universe can be a family one day
Group captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Air Force has become the second Indian astronaut to visit space after wing commander Rakesh Sharma's journey aboard the Soyuz T-11 spacecraft back in 1984. After being postponed multiple times on account of technical glitches, Axiom Mission-4 set pulses racing in a nation of over 1.4 billion when the Crew Dragon Grace lifted off from Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in the US on 25 June. This spacecraft was sent up by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, the reusable bulk of which returned swiftly to its pre-launch clasps on the ground after delivering the necessary thrust. Designed to travel on, the crew capsule docked on Thursday at the International Space Station (ISS), which has been in low-earth orbit with seven astronauts aboard. They've been joined by Axiom-4's team of four led there by American astronaut Peggy Whitson, described by Nasa as a 'frequent flyer." Apart from Shukla, the mission's pilot, its other members are scientists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland on behalf of the European Space Agency and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Scientific, engineering and technological research will be the bedrock of Axiom-4. This mission is chock-a-block with projects. It has brought aboard the ISS as many as 60 studies from 31 countries. Common to all are the conditions of microgravity—or near weightlessness—under which experiments will be conducted. This could prepare the ground for replication in deep space someday. Seven of these projects are from India, selected by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro). They include tests with three strains of edible micro-algae, which will be compared with algae grown on earth; the sprouting of salad and food crop seeds, which is broadly about space farming; and gauging the effects of metabolic supplements on muscle strength, which may help us work out how to address the atrophy that astronauts suffer on long missions. Another experiment involves studying cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae) to see if they can grow in microgravity with urea and nitrate from human waste as fertilizer. The idea is to explore if this could be a source of nutrition in space. It can potentially yield a 'superfood'—think of Spirulina, which is valued for the protein and vitamins it packs in—that lays a path to human survival away from the home planet for prolonged stretches. Crop seeds grown in orbit will be brought back and grown under a lens for several generations. Yet another project will study the physical and cognitive effect of computer use, aiming to develop screens suitable for long-duration space missions. Isro has also sent up Tardigrades, known as 'water bears.' These are microscopic aquatic invertebrates that can survive extreme conditions—from volcanoes to radiation. How well these 'extremophiles' handle microgravity will be of interest. India's participation in Axiom-4 offers hope for our collective future. Health, food security and our ability to withstand extremes of weather triggered by climate change—all these are vital fields of study. What we learn from those tests will advance human knowledge for the benefit of all, even as this quest fosters a scientific temper. The need to explore the habitability of space should also concentrate minds on the future of the planet we inhabit. In Gaganyaan, Isro has its own crewed space mission lined up for 2027. But for Axiom-4, we have global collaboration to thank. As universal truths go, it's self-evident that the world must learn to collaborate on earth too.
The Print
3 days ago
- Science
- The Print
From Sharma to Shukla, India's spaceflight goes from Russia's goodwill to NASA's partnership
Modern-day joint collaborations between nations and space agencies differ significantly from those in the past. Today, there is a strong economic dimension to such partnerships. Four decades ago, the Soviet Union under Leonid Brezhnev offered India an opportunity to send a cosmonaut into space. Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma's 1984 journey aboard Soyuz T-11 could be seen as a goodwill gesture. In contrast, for the Axiom-4 mission, India is known to have paid around Rs 550–600 crore. Axiom Space, a US-based space infrastructure company founded in 2016, partnered with Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch commercial astronauts to the ISS. SpaceX launched the mission using its Falcon 9 rocket. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is part of the Axiom-4 mission through its collaboration with NASA. As Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla successfully begins his journey to the International Space Station (ISS), it is important not to view the Axiom-4 mission as a one-off event. Four agencies are involved in this mission. For India, this mission is important for developing its future space programmes. The insights gained will benefit the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission, as well as future missions such as India's space station and possible crewed missions to the Moon. Shukla will gain a lot of experience in space travel by working on a space station, experience that will prove useful for India's upcoming missions. He is piloting the Axiom-4 mission to the ISS and is expected to conduct seven specialised experiments during his stay. These experiments have been jointly designed and developed by ISRO and the Department of Biotechnology. This marks the first time ISRO is conducting research under microgravity conditions. Astronaut Shukla will also carry out exclusive experiments related to food and nutrition. The goal is to pioneer space nutrition and develop self-sustaining life-support systems, which would be vital for long-duration missions. A major focus is on India-centric food, including experiments on sprouting *methi* (fenugreek) and *moong* (green gram) in microgravity. There is a proposal to expose seeds to space's microbiotic conditions and return them to Earth for further analysis. Along with the other astronauts, Shukla will also be involved in diabetes monitoring. Other key experiments include studying muscle degeneration and myogenesis in microgravity (which is crucial for astronaut health on long missions) as well as the cognitive effects of screens ('Screens in Space') on human vision and performance. ISRO has already successfully conducted a space docking experiment and plans another mission involving docking in an elliptical orbit. Apart from India's upcoming Moon mission, expertise in space docking is going to be extremely important for building and operating India's own space station. Shukla is expected to gain hands-on knowledge of various aspects of docking through this mission. The experience of conducting experiments in microgravity will also help in designing future experiments aboard India's space station. An Indian astronaut spending around 14 days aboard the ISS offers invaluable real-world experience in spacecraft operations, including crew health management, emergency procedures, docking manoeuvres, and daily life in space. Beyond the scientific gains, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's mission to the ISS reinforces India's global standing in space exploration. It also sparks curiosity and inspiration among the next generation of scientists, engineers, and future space travellers. Ajay Lele is a Senior Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. Views are personal. (Edited by Prashant)
