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.
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.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon capsule was launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying four crew members to the International Space Station.
'As humans, we haven't changed much'
Indian-origin Astronaut Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are scheduled to leave the International Space station by March 19 at the earliest, said NASA.
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.
The company had announced similar pricing for Sri Lanka, where its application was in advanced stages of regulatory clearance.
India's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and three other astronauts on Thursday reached the International Space Station as the Dragon spacecraft docked with the orbital laboratory.
"Once the astronaut returns to Earth, they are immediately forced to readjust again, back to Earth's gravity, and can experience issues standing, stabilising their gaze, walking and turning. For their safety, returning astronauts are often placed in a chair immediately upon return to Earth," the Houston-based Baylor College of Medicine said in a note on body changes in space.
Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who returned to Earth after spending 286 days in space, will not receive any overtime for their extended stay, despite their spacecraft malfunctioning. NASA rules state astronauts are treated like "any other government employee who takes a business trip." They do receive a $5 per day allowance for "incidentals", which are typically fees and tips for services like porters and hotel staff.
Elon Musk's Starlink has got licence for satcom services in India, according to sources.
India's biggest telecom players, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Industries-backed Jio Platforms, will soon bring billionaire Elon Musk-led SpaceX's Starlink satellite services to India. According to analysts, the move could boost India's tele density, especially in the rural areas, and may be an opportunity for investors to add the two stocks on dips for long-term gains
Musk said on Friday that he believes India-US ties are "trending positive" and that he favours an enhanced trade partnership between the two nations.
'The launch of Nila, our very first satellite was very emotional as well as nerve wracking. We tried to calm ourselves by cracking some poor jokes!'
'He's gonna inspire billions of girls and boys.'
Starlink's application for offering satcom services in India had been held up for the company's inability to comply with mandatory ownership disclosure norms.
Glimpses of SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft atop its powerful super heavy rocket is prepared for launch at the company's Boca Chica launchpad in Brownsville, Texas.
The feud reached its peak when Musk made explosive allegations about Trump's connection to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, marking a dramatic escalation in their increasingly personal conflict.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Indian-American billionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk in Washington, D.C., discussing India-US relations, innovation, biotechnology, and the role of entrepreneurship. Modi also met with US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard during his visit.
Sunita added that "I hope, and I think for sure, I'm gonna be going back to my father's home country and visiting with people and getting excited about the first, or not the first, but the Indian national who's going up on the Axiom Mission coming up, pretty awesome," she said.
The security forces recently seized some internet devices along with arms and ammunition during a raid in Keirao Khunou in Imphal East district.
US President Donald Trump shared a video link of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with US-based popular podcaster and computer scientist Lex Fridman on his social media platform Truth Social. During the interaction lasting over three hours, Modi on Sunday said he and Trump connect well as both put their respective countries first and asserted that their mutual trust remained unshaken even when the Republican leader was out of office during Joe Biden's presidency. Modi recalled that during Trump's first term, he ignored security protocol and agreed to Modi's request to take a lap around the stadium hosting the 'Howdy Modi' event in Houston. Modi also lauded Mahatma Gandhi's legacy and described himself as a peacemaker who has nudged both Russian and Ukrainian leaders to come to the negotiating table. In the podcast, Modi also opened up on a host of foreign affairs issues and touched on various aspects of his life journey.
'With India's growing capabilities in the space sector, this creates promising opportunities for enhanced collaboration and market access.'
A probe into the biggest drug haul of 6,000 kg methamphetamine in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has shown that the Myanmarese smugglers were using the Starlink satellite internet services for navigation through the mid-sea, a top police officer said on Thursday. Authorities suspect that the drug consignments may be linked to notorious international cartels, such as Tse Chi Lop's (the Chinese El Chapo) or Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes' (El Mencho) operations.
The spacecraft is the first to take the American astronauts to orbit from American soil in nearly a decade.
Residents of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams' ancestral village in Gujarat are celebrating her safe return to Earth with Diwali-like festivities. The village, Jhulasan, is alive with excitement and prayers for Williams' safe return after a nine-month stay at the International Space Station. A grand procession will be held in her honour, accompanied by prayer chanting and fireworks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had a 'fruitful meeting' with United States National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and they discussed defence, technology and security areas, which are important aspects of the India-US ties.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met SpaceX CEO Elon Musk in Washington on Thursday. US President Donald Trump has chosen Musk to head a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) last month. Musk arrived at Blair House with his three young children, who were sitting with Musk when he met Modi. Earlier, Modi met US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz. The meeting with Waltz was the first engagement of the day. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval were also present at the meeting. Modi arrived in the US capital Wednesday evening for a bilateral meeting with President Trump. After arriving at Blair House, the President's Guest House, Modi met the US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Just hours before her meeting with Modi, Gabbard took the oath of office as the 8th Director of National Intelligence in the presence of Trump.
The email came from the Office of Personnel Management's new HR email address but had no signature. The subject line reads: "What did you do last week?"
Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams returned to Earth after completing a record-breaking 9-month mission to the International Space Station. The mission was initially planned for eight days but was extended due to issues with their Boeing spacecraft. During her mission, Williams broke the record for most time spent spacewalking by a woman, completing 62 hours and 9 minutes of extra-vehicular activity.
Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams has broken the record for total spacewalking time by a woman by logging 62 hours and 6 minutes of spacewalk.
India and the visiting US officials have decided to hold a wrap-up session on Saturday morning to conclude the three-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement, government sources said. They said the discussions are at a "very" early stage.
According to the paper, Trump is known for his extreme germophobia. Trump has spoken openly about his phobia of germs in the past too.
If completed, this deal would place OpenAI among the most valuable private companies globally, alongside Musk's SpaceX and ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, according to The New York Times.
SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean off coast Florida.
United States President Donald Trump had some words of appreciation for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams' hair as he told a pair of stranded astronauts aboard the International Space Station that 'we're coming up to get you'.
The Crew-3 astronauts will spend approximately six months aboard the space station conducting new and exciting scientific research in areas such as materials science, health technologies, and plant science to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and to benefit life on Earth.
Musk is an open supporter of Trump.
Trump made these remarks after Elon Musk-led DOGE's (Department of Government Efficiency) disclosed that USAID contributed USD 21 million to Election Commission for boosting voter turnout.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his visit to the United States after holding high-level bilateral talks with President Donald Trump on a wide range of subjects, including trade and technology, defence and security, energy and people-to-people ties. The two leaders decided to take a significant step in deepening their strategic ties, particularly in the areas of defence, energy, and critical technology. Modi also met with key American officials, including National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and prominent business leaders like SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
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