After the successful completion of its historic 18-day mission at the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, the Union Cabinet joined the nation to celebrate the return of Group captain Shubhanshu Shukla.
After the cabinet meeting, Union Information Minister and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said, “Today the Union Cabinet has passed a resolution on the return of the group captain Shubanshu Shukla. It is an opportunity of pride, glory and happiness for the whole country.
On 15 July, group captain Shubhunhu Shukla returned safely to Earth from his space trip.
Launched on 25 June, as group captain Shubanshu Shukla Mission Pilot, the mission marked a watershed moment for India as this was the first time that an Indian astronaut traveled to ISS.
The cabinet appreciated the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and their untiring efforts for the entire community of Indian scientists and engineers, making this achievement possible.
During his time at the ISS, Group Captain Shukla worked with fellow members of the Axiom-4 crew and Expedition 73, giving concerted India’s growing leadership in international space cooperation.
He made leading experiments on topics such as muscle regeneration, algal and microbial growth, crop feasibility, microbial survival, cognitive performance in space and behavior of cyanobacteria. These studies will deepen the global understanding of human spacecraft and microgravity science, and will provide significant inputs for India’s future missions.
This mission greatly enhances India’s global status in space exploration. This is an important step towards India’s ambition of its human space, which includes Gaganan and Indian Aantikasha Station.
India’s recent landmark achievements include the historical landing of Chandrayaan -3 near the south pole of the moon on 23 August 2023, which was a day in history as the National Space Day of India. Similarly, India’s Aditya-L1 mission launched in 2023 has greatly increased the understanding of humanity of solar activity. (AI)
