Indian Air Force Officer Group Captain Sudhanshu Shukla has been selected for a space mission. Last year, NASA and ISRO entered into a joint agreement to collaborate in the field of space technology, including sending astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). This agreement has paved the way for an Indian to travel to space.
Alongside Sudhanshu Shukla, another Indian Air Force officer, Group Captain Prashant Balakrishna Nair, has been selected as a reserve astronaut. Axiom, a private American company established for space travel, has a contract with NASA for the space station. Through this company, missions to the space station are being planned, and as part of this initiative, Indian astronauts will be traveling to the ISS. Notably, Sudhanshu Shukla and Prashant Nair are among the four members of India’s ambitious Gaganyaan Mission. Through the Gaganyaan Mission, ISRO is preparing to send Indian astronauts to space independently. The necessary training for these four individuals for space travel has already commenced.
When is the Axiom-4 Mission? The Axiom-4 mission is scheduled for October. In this mission, a total of four individuals will travel to the space station. The mission will last for 14 days and will include astronauts from the USA, Poland, Hungary, and India. The journey will be made using a rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft from the renowned SpaceX company.
What Benefits Will India Gain? The Gaganyaan Mission is planned for next year, where four Indian astronauts will travel to space for three days and orbit the Earth. The essential experience required for this first mission will be gained by Sudhanshu Shukla through the Axiom-4 mission. This experience will help make the Gaganyaan Mission more accurate.
Sudhanshu Shukla Follows in Rakesh Sharma’s Footsteps Rakesh Sharma is recognized as India’s first astronaut. In 1984, Sharma stayed at the Salyut 7 space station of the then-Soviet Russia for a few days and even communicated with then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from the space station.
Now, Sudhanshu Shukla will become the second Indian to travel to space. Previously, individuals of Indian origin but settled abroad, such as Sunita Williams, Kalpana Chawla, and Raja Chari, have already traveled to space.