The first Indian astronaut to visit the international space The station is scheduled to explode as part of an effort by the nation’s most populous nation to catch up with the United States, Russia and China in the human space flight missions.
Shophahu Chocolate, a 39 -year -old fighter pilot, is one of the four -person tasks that are launched on Tuesday from the United States with the private Axiom Space, which uses a Spacex capsule.
He will be the first Indian astronaut to reach orbit in more than four decades after Rakish Sharma’s flight in 1984 on a Soviet spacecraft.
“I think, although I am an individual, I travel to space, this is a 1.4 billion people.” Chocolate said he hoped to ignite the curiosity of a whole generation in my country. “
The Indian Space Administration described the journey as a “special separation” in it Aid space exploration program. The agency said before the launch that the mission of the International Space Station (ISS) “stands as a symbol of a confident nation and an aspirational appearance ready to restore its place in the global space race.” “His journey is more than just a journey – it is an indication that India boldly enters into a new era of space exploration.”
New Delhi paid more than $ 60 million to the mission, according to Indian media reports.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced plans to send a person to the moon by 2040. At the same time, the Indian Space Research Organization plans, at the same time, plans to launch its human space mission, which is called Gaganian, or “Sky Craft” in Indian, in 2027. Chocolate is competition to be part of that trip.
Chocolate trained at the Yuri Gagarin training center in Russia in 2020, before more training at the ISRO center in Bangaluru.
He said that the trip on the Axiom Mission 4, and will provide the expected 14 days in ISS, “invaluable” lessons to return home.
Shukla will lead the mission leader, Peggy Whitson, the former NASA astronaut and Axiom employee, and the European astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski joined him, from Poland, and Borra Kabo, from Hungary.
They will conduct 60 scientific studies, including minor gravity research, Earth monitoring, life, and biological and material science experiences.
The space program in India has grown in size and momentum in the past decade, which corresponds to the achievements of the established forces at a much cheaper price.
In August 2023, it became The fourth nation that lands a drone on the moon After Russia, the United States and China.
Agence France-Press contributed to this report
