"Proud global acknowledgement of India's Space capabilities": Jitendra Singh lauds ISRO-NASA Mission to ISS

New Delhi [India], June 9 (ANI): Union Minister for Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh on Monday lauded the upcoming launch of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)-National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) collaborative mission to send the first ISRO astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS).
In a post on X, Singh described the mission as a "proud global acknowledgement of India's Space capabilities", paying tribute to the founding fathers of India's space programme, Vikram Sarabhai and Satish Dhawan.
He also expressed pride in India's growing space capabilities, noting the presence of Indian astronaut Group Captain Subhanshu Shuklam, who will be the first ISRO astronaut at the station, along with the other three crew members part of the mission.
The minister further credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the transformative space reforms.
"ISRO-NASA Mission to ISS. India heads to the International Space Station! As Subhanshu Shukla joins other 3 crew members to take off tomorrow at 5.52 PM IST. A proud global acknowledgement of India's Space capabilities... a befitting tribute to the founding fathers Vikram Sarabhai and Satish Dhawan. The miracle of reoriented Space reforms brought in by the government have lend a reinforced confidence to India's Space flight... Thanks PM Narendra Modi," the Union Minister stated.
According to Axiom Space, the Axiom Mission 4 will "realise the return" to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, marking each nation's first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While this is the second human spaceflight mission in history for these countries, it will be the first time all three will execute a mission aboard the International Space Station.
This historic mission highlights how Axiom Space is redefining access to low-Earth orbit and elevating national space programmes globally.
The Ax-4 crew includes members from India, Poland, and Hungary, marking each nation's first mission to the space station in history and the second government-sponsored human spaceflight mission in over 40 years, according to Axiom Space.
Shubhanshu Shukla will be India's second national astronaut to go to space since 1984.
Slawosz Uznanski, European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut, will be the second Polish astronaut since 1978. Tibor Kapu will be the second national Hungarian astronaut since 1980.
Peggy Whitson will command her second commercial human spaceflight mission, adding to her standing record for the longest cumulative time in space by an American astronaut. (ANI)