Indian Achievements in Space Exploration

The journey of Indian astronauts in space has been notable, beginning with Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma in 1984, who became the first Indian to venture into space aboard the Soviet Union's Soyuz spacecraft.

Current Developments

• Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is scheduled to be launched into space as a pilot on the NASA/SpaceX/Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS).
• Shukla will become the first Indian to participate in a NASA mission after crossing the Kármán Line, which is 100 km from Earth's surface and marks the boundary of space.

Context and Background

• Shukla’s participation represents the rekindling of human spaceflight cooperation between NASA and ISRO, last seen over four decades ago.
• The Gaganyaan mission, set for 2027, includes shortlisted candidates such as Group Captains Prashanth Nair, Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, and Shubhanshu Shukla.

Historical Incidents

• In the 1980s, ISRO scientists P Radhakrishnan and NC Bhat were trained for space shuttle missions with NASA, which were halted due to the Challenger disaster in 1986.
• Ravish Malhotra was trained under the Soviet Union's Interkosmos program alongside Rakesh Sharma but never went to space.

Significance

This mission marks a significant milestone as ISRO and NASA work towards collaborative efforts in space exploration, as highlighted in the India-US joint statement during the 2023 state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US.