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Following an 18-day space mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on board Axiom Mission 4, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has returned to Earth. The mission, carrying over 60 experiments in microgravity, took off on June 25 onboard SpaceX Crew Dragon Grace from Kennedy Space Center and ended with a splashdown off San Diego 288 orbits of the Earth later, on July 15.
The mission was important for India’s human spaceflight aspirations and development in the Gaganyaan program, and the Union Cabinet approved a resolution congratulating Shukla’s mission as a “beacon for youth.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that Shukla’s return was “India’s first astronaut to have visited the ISS” and had “inspired a billion dreams.”
Indeed, this mission – which has utilized American infrastructure and training to advance India’s technological objectives – emblazon’s the strong relationship and exchange that develops between U.S. and Indian space programs.
Not merely will Shukla be forever cemented in history as the second Indian astronaut (Rakesh Sharma is first), but this mission also sets the stage for milestone achievements in India’s indigenous human spaceflight program. This remarkable feat has undoubtedly been achieved through a collaborative global effort, as well as world-class expertise.
Courtesy: Embassy of U.S. Facebook page.