India to Send First Astronaut to International Space Station

India is preparing to send its first astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS), marking a significant achievement in the country’s space exploration efforts. This mission represents a historic collaboration and showcases India’s growing capabilities in human spaceflight. It not only highlights the nation's ambition in space science but also paves the way for future manned missions. The milestone reflects India’s emergence as a key player in global space initiatives and technological advancement.

India is preparing to send one of its own to the International Space Station (ISS), marking a bold step toward joining global leaders like the US, Russia, and China in manned space exploration. Shubhanshu Shukla, a 39-year-old fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force, is part of a four-member crew set to lift off Tuesday from the US, aboard a SpaceX capsule operated by private company Axiom Space.

This mission will make Shukla the third astronaut of Indian heritage to reach space, following Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in 1984, and Kalpana Chawla, who, after becoming a US citizen, flew on two space shuttle missions, including the ill-fated Columbia mission in 2003.

Shukla shared that while the journey is his alone physically, it represents the hopes and aspirations of all 1.4 billion people in India. He expressed a desire to spark curiosity among the youth back home. India’s space department referred to the mission as a landmark event in the country's ambitious exploration goals, describing it as a reflection of India’s growing confidence and commitment to space science.

According to local reports, the Indian government has invested over $60 million into this mission. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared India’s intent to send an astronaut to the moon by 2040. In parallel, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning its first crewed space mission, Gaganyaan, with a target launch year of 2027, and Shukla is a potential candidate for that journey as well.

Shukla previously trained at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in 2020, followed by advanced training at ISRO’s Bengaluru facility. He sees the upcoming two-week stay aboard the ISS as an opportunity to gather valuable knowledge and experience to support future Indian space efforts.

Leading the mission will be veteran astronaut and Axiom employee Peggy Whitson. The rest of the international team includes Polish astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from the European Space Agency and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The mission will carry out 60 scientific experiments focused on microgravity, earth observation, as well as life sciences, biology, and material research.

India’s space ambitions have seen significant growth in recent years, achieving major milestones at a fraction of the cost of other nations. In August 2023, India joined a select group of countries, Russia, the US, and China, by successfully landing an unmanned spacecraft on the moon.

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Source: theguardian‍