New Delhi, June 25 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Science and Technology (Independent Charge) Dr. Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday that Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s International Space Station (ISS) mission is an important step towards the goal of developed India.
Lucknow -born Shukla flew to EDT (Indian time at 12 noon) riding in a new SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft on Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida (at 12 noon) at 2:31 pm.
With the success of the mission, India will get a new astronaut after 41 years. He will become the first Indian to reach the orbiting lab and will become the second Indian to go to space after Rakesh Sharma’s flight in 1984.
Speaking to IANS, Singh credited Shukla’s flight to the government’s reforms and policies, including opening the space industry to the private sector.
Singh said, “I would say that this (Shubhanshu Shukla’s Space Mission) is a huge flight towards the developed India target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was only possible due to space reforms, where the space industry was opened to the private sector and it was given a very wide shape.”
Shukla was one of the 12 finalists selected by PM Modi for Gaganyaan Mission. He was then selected from the four people participating in Mission-4 of Axiom Space.
In-space chairman Pawan Kumar Goenka told IANS that Shukla’s visit to ISS will help India significantly help in its human space flight mission, Gaganyaan.
Goenka said, “The government decided that it would be very useful to fly one of the astronauts in the Ex-4 mission for the Indian human space flight. This is why IAF Group Captain Shukla was selected for the Gaganyaan astronauts for the Axiom-4 mission.”
He said, “Shukla’s mission will enable ISRO to learn more about human space flights and his real -life experiences of space travel can be very useful.”
Scientist P.K. Ghosh described it as a very proud moment for India. He told IANS that Shukla is also expected to “spacewalk” and his 14-day mission can be extended to a maximum of 21 days.
Dr. Narottam Sahu, Advisor in the Science and Technology Department of the Government of Gujarat, told IANS that today is a big day for India. It will go there and do the necessary tests and this will help Indian manufacturers and students to know more.
Shukla is working as a mission pilot with US commander Paigi Whitson.
Shukla along with other crew members include Poland’s Slavose Uznansky-Visnivsky and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, both working as mission experts.
Shukla is expected to reach the orbiting lab by 4.30 pm Indian time on 26 June.
-IANS
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