ISRO Names Shubhanshu Shukla For US Mission To International Space Station

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) In a major development for India's space exploration efforts, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to send Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS) under a new space flight agreement with Axiom Space, a NASA-identified service provider. This mission has come to light following a commitment made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the US over a year ago, where he announced plans for an Indian astronaut to join a US space mission.

ISRO's Human Space Flight Centre has recommended Shukla as the prime mission pilot, with Group Captain Prashanth Nair designated as the backup. The final decision will be confirmed by the multilateral crew operations panel. Both Shukla and Nair are among the four astronaut-designates chosen for India's ambitious Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send Indian astronauts to space.

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Training for Shukla and Nair is scheduled to commence in the first week of August 2024, according to ISRO. The upcoming Axiom-4 mission to the ISS will mark a significant step in this collaboration.

ISRO highlighted that this partnership with Axiom Space aligns with the joint statement made during PM Modi's state visit to the US in June 2023. The mission is expected to involve scientific research, technology demonstrations, and space-outreach activities by the astronauts, including Shukla. This endeavor is poised to enhance India's Human Space Programme and bolster space-flight cooperation between ISRO and NASA.

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