Who will be the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Axiom Mission 4?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

RRB NTPC Graduate Level CBT-I Official Paper (Held On: 05 Jun, 2025 Shift 3)

Answer 1

The correct answer is Shubhanshu Shukla.

Key Points

Shubhanshu Shukla is set to become the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom Mission 4.
Axiom Mission 4 is a private crewed mission organized by Axiom Space in partnership with NASA.
This groundbreaking mission will mark India's entry into human space exploration beyond Earth orbit in collaboration with international partners.
The mission is part of Axiom Space’s efforts to expand commercial space exploration and pave the way for private astronauts to conduct scientific research in microgravity.
Shubhanshu Shukla’s selection highlights India’s growing presence and contributions to global space exploration initiatives.

Additional Information

International Space Station (ISS)
- The ISS is a multinational collaborative project involving NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), and CSA (Canada).
- It serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory where scientific studies are conducted in various fields, including biology, physics, and astronomy.
- The ISS operates at an altitude of approximately 400 km and travels at a speed of 28,000 km/h.
Axiom Space
- Axiom Space is a private American aerospace company focused on commercial space missions and building the first commercial space station.
- The company organizes private crewed missions to the ISS, offering opportunities for research, education, and commercial activities.
India’s Space Program
- India's space program is spearheaded by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which has achieved significant milestones in satellite launches, lunar exploration, and interplanetary missions.
- Gaganyaan is India's first human spaceflight program, aiming to send Indian astronauts to low Earth orbit by 2024.
Microgravity Research
- Microgravity refers to the condition in which objects appear weightless due to the free-fall motion of the spacecraft.
- Research in microgravity allows scientists to study phenomena that are not observable under Earth’s gravity, such as fluid dynamics, material science, and biological processes.