In a recent call with V Narayanan, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Shubhanshu Shukla, the Indian Gaganyatri currently on board the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission, expressed his gratitude for ISRO's efforts in facilitating his safe journey to the ISS. The conversation took place on the afternoon of July 6, as reported by ISRO. During the call, Narayanan showed genuine interest in Shukla's well-being and asked about the various scientific experiments and activities taking place on the ISS. He also underscored the importance of meticulously documenting all experiments and activities once Shukla returns to Earth, as this documentation will provide invaluable insights to support the development of India’s human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan.
Gaganyaan program
The Gaganyaan program aims to showcase India's capability to launch a crewed spacecraft into low Earth orbit, and the knowledge gained from Shukla’s mission is expected to prove vital for its future success. His ISS mission has been carried out under the ISRO-Axiom Spaceflight agreement.
The discussion included several key ISRO officials, such as Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair, Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and Chairman of the Program Management Council for Human Space Programme; M Mohan, Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC); Padmakumar E S, Director of ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU); M Ganesh Pillai, Scientific Secretary of ISRO; and N Vedachalam, former Director of LPSC.
Shukla took the opportunity to provide updates on the progress of the experiments and activities being conducted aboard the space station, highlighting the scientific goals and challenges being tackled.
Meanwhile, since his arrival, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has made significant contributions to scientific research. He was also granted a day off on July 3, giving him a chance to recharge and connect with family and friends back on Earth.
