Shubhanshu Shukla's first seven days in space have combined science, ceremony, and moments of levity.
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla returns to Earth after an 18-day mission aboard the International Space Station, marking a significant milestone for India's space program and carrying out crucial scientific experiments.
Following the postponement of the Axiom 4 mission, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, said that his family is 'mentally' prepared for the mission.
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others are set to embark on the Axiom Space's fourth human spaceflight from National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 10 and are likely to dock at the International Space Station on June 11 at about 10 pm IST, after a nearly 28-hour journey.
Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station, piloted by Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla with three other crew members, has been delayed and will now be launched from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 8 at 6:41 pm IST.
Special prayers were offered in Lucknow on Tuesday for the success of the thrice-postponed lift-off of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, on board SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket, that would propel him into history as the first Indian to step onto the International Space Station.
Shukla shared these details in an 18-minute interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday from the International Space Station that is orbiting the earth at an altitude of 400 km.
'As humans, we haven't changed much'
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla stands on the cusp of history as he prepares to set off on a space odyssey, marking India's return to space flight 41 years after his idol Rakesh Sharma orbited the earth for eight days as part of Soviet Union's Interkosmos programme.
If Rakesh Sharma represented the dreams of a nascent India looking outward, Shubhanshu Shukla embodies a confident India reaching for the controls.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla Shukla says Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma -- the first Indian to travel to space --has been advising him about the space flight.
The Lucknow-born Shukla, former NASA astronaut Mission Commander Peggy Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are part of the Axiom-4 mission that marks the return to space for the three nations.
'He's gonna inspire billions of girls and boys.'
'You can imagine for India what Shuks means not just to the billions of people in India but the entire Indian diaspora around the world.'
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will be the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), flying aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as part of a joint effort between NASA and ISRO. Shukla, a group captain in the Indian Air Force, will serve as the pilot for the Axiom Mission 4, scheduled for launch no earlier than spring 2025. The mission will also carry the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary to stay aboard the ISS.
A list of lesser-travelled destinations in India that you must explore this year!
Senior Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party leader Mudragada Padmanabham has officially changed his name to 'Padmanabha Reddy', fulfilling his pledge made during the election campaign, after he failed to ensure the defeat of Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan in the recently concluded assembly polls.
Padmanabham said the government has assured him it would obtain the report of a commission on backward classes (for inclusion of the Kapus in Backward Classes), within seven months instead of nine, if possible, and allocate Rs 1,000 crore annually to Kapu (welfare) corporation from next year.
Security has been beefed up in the East Godavari district, in view of Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham's planned indefinite fast at Kirlampudi from Friday for inclusion of the community in the Backward Class category.
He blamed 'bad elements' encouraged by ruling Telugu Desam Party for the violence that erupted at Tuni in the district on Sunday, and alleged that the TDP government tried to suppress his agitation by creating obstacles to the public meeting.
To enable the 5 per cent quota for the Kapus, the Centre will have to include it in Schedule 9 of the Constitution so as to insulate it from court's scrutiny.
Residents of a village in Kapu assembly segment of Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency have decided to boycott the upcoming election, in protest against the poor civic amenities there.
Tamil Nadu's Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has reacted to Andhra Pradesh counterpart Pawan Kalyan's out-of-turn taunts with a one-liner, 'Let's wait', and thereby hangs a tale, notes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The stir by Kapu community members seeking reservation under Backward Class category turned violent today with agitators setting four coaches of Ratnachal Express on fire.
Many often stereotype Andhra Pradesh politics as being star-struck, but as Pawan Kalyan's political journey shows, stars are turning out to be a passing cloud.
The Maari Gudi temple management at Kapu town in Udupi district of coastal Karnataka has decided not to allow 'people from other faith' to do business on its land during the annual temple festival on the request of certain pro-Hindu organisations.
With clean blue waters and golden-white sands, these super beaches have a magic that is hard to keep away from.
The five-state assembly elections are seen as a now-or-never, no-holds battle for the Congress, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
The incumbent ministers put in their papers at the meeting of the cabinet, which was their last, at the secretariat in Amaravati.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday released its first list of 189 candidates for the May 10 Karnataka assembly polls, fielding Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai from his traditional Shiggaon constituency.
He also told his legislators that the Cabinet would predominantly comprise members from the weaker sections, contrary to expectations that the Reddy community would get a lion's share.
Sucharita finally met the Chief Minister and YSRC president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in Amaravati on Wednesday and reportedly poured out her agony over being denied a second chance in the recent Cabinet reconstitution.
Looking for an adventure escape or a soulful vacay? Here's our guide for your next solo travel jaunt.
The ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress described it as the 'social cabinet', with 70 per cent representation to the BC, SC, ST and minority communities.
Unlike earlier years, an Indian-American child did not win America's Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2021. 234 spellers, many of them Indian-American kids, will participate in the 2022 Bee, to be held from May 31 to June 2.
Actor Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party, which was expected to put up a strong fight in Andhra Pradesh, came a cropper in the assembly elections, with the party chief himself trailing in both seats he contested.
Amit Shah believes Bandi Sanjay Kumar is 'single-handedly' capable of unseating the TRS government in the December 2023 assembly election and there is no need for the BJP's central leaders to jump into the Telangana scene.
The TDP has many formidable challenges in the state leading to the 2019 general elections, many of which it cannot surmount without help from the Modi government.
Seeking to put its house in order in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress on Monday appointed senior state minister Botsa Satyanarayana as Pradesh Congress Committee president.
To make matters worse, senior batsman Chamara Kapugedara also sustained a knee injury and hobbled out of the ground in considerable pain during the practice session.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances