Bill Nelson, the head of NASA, expressed his gratitude to the Indian Space Research Organization ( ISRO ) for its selection of astronauts for a pending mission to the International Space Station ( ISS).
Nelson’s praise highlights the US and India’s growing space exploration agreement.
In a speech on social media platform X, Nelson expressed his joy, saying,” Thanks, @ISRO. The International Space Station will soon welcome the second ISRO cosmonaut! For the US-India agreement in place, this is a significant phase forward.
ISRO and Axiom satellite’s deal
For the Axiom-4 vision, ISRO’s Human Space Flight Center and Axiom Space Inc. have signed a formal space flight agreement, marking ISRO’s second manned flight to the ISS. The Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair have been chosen as the storage astronauts for this goal by the National Mission Assignment Board.
The Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP) will ultimately approve the designated team members ‘ flights to the International Space Station, according to an official launch. The first week of August 2024 will be when the recommended gaganyatris begin their education for the goal.
The Axiom-4 vision, scheduled for release aboard a SpaceX rocket, may have pilots from Poland, Hungary, and the United States, alongside Shukla.
Who is Shubhanshu Shukla
Born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on October 10, 1985, Shubhanshu Shukla is an accomplished warrior aircraft and test captain with about 2, 000 hours of flying expertise on diverse aircraft including the Sukhoi-30MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. Shukla is a Fighter Combat Leader and was drafted into the Indian Air Force on June 17, 2006.
Shukla becomes the first American astronomer to orbit space in 40 years, making history with this mission. Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who took part in an Indo-Soviet objective in 1984, was the only Indian to have recently visited place.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the decision to take an Indian astronaut to the ISS after the statement of Shukla’s selection more than a year ago. This vision not only marks a major milestone for India’s area exploration journey, but it also demonstrates how much more closely the US and India cooperate in space exploration.
