India Sends First Astronaut to Space After 41 Years (On Commercial Flight)
The Axiom-4 mission successfully launched from Florida, carrying a multi-national crew that included Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the second Indian to journey into space. Piloting the commercial flight to the International Space Station (ISS), Shukla is poised to become the first Indian to visit the orbiting laboratory, marking India’s return to space after 41 years. The mission, a collaboration between NASA, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and others, also includes astronauts from Poland and Hungary. This significant event has generated considerable excitement in India, with ISRO recognizing the valuable experience Shukla will gain, supporting its future spaceflight endeavors.
John Q. Hosedrinker