Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla who is a part of Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission has become the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS). Also, he is the second Indian to travel to space, after Rakesh Sharma, who flew to space in 1984.
About Axim-4 Mission
- The Ax-4 mission, operated by Houston-based Axiom Space, lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 25 and docked with the ISS on June 26. The mission is a collaborative effort of NASA, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the European Space Agency (ESA), and SpaceX.
- It a four-crew mission. It will spend two weeks aboard the ISS conducting around 60 scientific experiments- seven of which have been designed by ISRO.
- The mission is especially notable for India, as it features Group Captain Shukla, whose training and participation were funded by ISRO at a cost of ₹5 billion. ISRO aims to utilise the experience and knowledge Shukla will gain during the mission for its future missions towards advancing India’s space aspirations, particularly India’s ambitious human spaceflight program.
- ISRO aims to launch its first crewed mission by 2027, establish a space station by 2035, and send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040.
About ISRO
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has emerged as one of the world’s leading space agencies, known for achieving significant milestones through innovation, cost-effectiveness, and scientific excellence.
- Established in 1969, ISRO has transformed India into a major player in the global space community, focusing on satellite development, space exploration, and applications that support communication, agriculture, weather forecasting, and disaster management.
- Its landmark missions include Chandrayaan-1, which discovered water molecules on the Moon; Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), which made India the first Asian nation to reach Mars orbit in its maiden attempt; and Chandrayaan-3, which successfully soft-landed near the Moon’s South Pole in 2023, a first for any country.
- ISRO’s growing ambitions now include human spaceflight and deep space exploration. The Gaganyaan mission, scheduled for 2025–27, will send Indian astronauts into space, marking India’s entry into the elite club of nations capable of independent human spaceflight.
About the International Space Station (ISS)
- Launched in 1998, International Space Station (ISS) serves as a unique space laboratory orbiting Earth at an altitude of around 400 kilometers.
- The ISS is a joint effort involving NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), and CSA (Canada).
- It facilitates long-duration human presence in space and supports cutting-edge scientific research in microgravity across various disciplines, including biology, physics, astronomy, and climate science.
- The ISS has been continuously inhabited since November 2000 and serves as a testbed for technologies and human endurance critical to future missions to the Moon and Mars. It also plays a vital role in commercial spaceflight.
- The ISS is expected to remain operational until at least 2030.
