New Delhi: In a striking display of India’s advancing space capabilities, ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan and senior scientists held a live telephonic conversation with Indian Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
During the call yesterday, Indian scientists directly discussed ongoing mission activities and space-based experiments, offering real-time guidance and support, marking a historic milestone in India's human spaceflight efforts.
Shukla, who is currently part of the Axiom-4 mission under the ISRO–Axiom Spaceflight collaboration, expressed heartfelt gratitude to ISRO and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for enabling his journey to space.
He said the opportunity to represent India at the ISS was “incredible,” and that the ISRO team played a critical role in ensuring his safe and successful travel.
Chairman Narayanan, who also serves as Secretary of the Department of Space, inquired about Shukla’s health, daily routines, and scientific experiments being conducted aboard the ISS.
He emphasised the importance of documenting these experiments in detail upon return, stating they will serve as vital inputs for the development and success of India’s indigenous human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan.
Senior ISRO officials joined the interaction, including Dr Unnikrishnan Nair (Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and Chairman, Programme Management Council for Human Space Programme), M Mohan (Director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre), Padmakumar ES (Director, ISRO Inertial Systems Unit), M Ganesh Pillai (Scientific Secretary, ISRO), and N Vedachalam (former Director, LPSC).
The officials also engaged with Shukla, discussing mission objectives, experiments in progress, and the challenges faced in microgravity.
Chairman Narayanan highlighted ISRO's continuous monitoring and extended support throughout the mission. He recalled multiple pre-mission meetings with Shukla where scientific goals, mission importance, and mental readiness were discussed.
The Chairman also maintained regular contact with Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, the standby astronaut, ensuring that contingency protocols and backup systems were ready if needed.
Shukla provided updates on the ongoing space experiments, detailing their scientific objectives and the broader impact they could have on future human space exploration. His feedback and insights from the ISS are expected to inform key decisions for Gaganyaan, which aims to send Indian astronauts into low-Earth orbit aboard a domestically built spacecraft.
Before his departure, Shukla met ISRO officials and the Chairman at a quarantine facility in the United States, adhering to international protocols. Photographs from the time show Shukla maintaining a safe distance while receiving final mission briefings.
This mission symbolises India's growing stature in the global space community and underscores ISRO’s preparedness for human spaceflight, a domain that demands precision, innovation, and international coordination.
