The Axiom-4 has successfully undocked and is making its way back to Earth, as observed by Axiom Space and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Monday.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has announced plans to visit India later this year. The announcement follows a conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where they discussed potential collaborations in technology and innovation.
The Human-rated LVM3 vehicle, the Crew Escape System and the Crew Module and Service Module are all in final stages of testing and integration.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the Indian astronaut who along with three others returned recently from a successful space mission, is in Houston in the United States, as he readjusts to life on Earth, his father said on Thursday.
Kamna Shukla, wife of astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, shares plans for his homecoming after his 18-day mission on the International Space Station, emphasizing family time and simple pleasures.
Indian-origin Astronaut Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are scheduled to leave the International Space station by March 19 at the earliest, said NASA.
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and the Axiom-4 mission crew successfully returned to Earth, splashing down off the coast of San Diego after an 18-day stay at the International Space Station.
The celebrations are set to continue through the day. CMS also arranged a live AXIOM mission broadcast, a replica of the ISS Cupola module, a "Defy Gravity" photo booth, telescope viewings, and a simulated Mission Control Centre.
Shukla will be the second Indian to travel to space four decades after Rakesh Sharma's iconic spaceflight onboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft in 1984.
The spacecraft is the first to take the American astronauts to orbit from American soil in nearly a decade.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut at the International Space Station (ISS), conducted a critical biomedical experiment aboard the ISS on flight day 6 of the Axiom 4 Mission, focusing on how microgravity contributes to muscle loss.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
Shubhanshu Shukla's first seven days in space have combined science, ceremony, and moments of levity.
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.
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.
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.
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 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
'As humans, we haven't changed much'
SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean off coast Florida.
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.
The security forces recently seized some internet devices along with arms and ammunition during a raid in Keirao Khunou in Imphal East district.
'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!'
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.
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.
Elon Musk's Starlink has got licence for satcom services in India, according to sources.
'With India's growing capabilities in the space sector, this creates promising opportunities for enhanced collaboration and market access.'
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.
'The current launch is a sounding rocket, this cannot be called a milestone. The importance is this is for the first time a private player is doing it.'
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.
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.
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.
'He's gonna inspire billions of girls and boys.'
American aerospace manufacturer SpaceX on Thursday launched the Falcon 9 carrier rocket that placed the Crew Dragon spaceship into orbit.
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.
China on Tuesday alleged that US billionaire Elon Musk-owned SpaceX's satellites had two 'close encounters' with its space station in orbit, and has complained to the United Nations about the incidents which endangered the safety of the Chinese astronauts.
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