Japan Coast Guard Ship Itsukushima arrived at the Chennai port on Monday (July 7), as part of its Global Ocean Voyage Training. This visit underscores the deep and enduring bond between the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Japan Coast Guard (JCG).&nbsp;&nbsp;This visit further strengthens the strategic partnership in the vital Indo-Pacific region and enhances inter-operability between the two renowned maritime forces, which are also part of the four-nation Quad grouping. This visit is being coordinated by Headquarters, Coast Guard Region (East),headed by Inspector General Datwinder Singh Saini.&nbsp;&nbsp;Itsukushima, measuring 134 meters long and 5500 tons in displacement, is a training vessel of the Japanese Coast Guard Academy. The ship is also designed to serve in emergency response missions during natural disasters, thanks to its enhanced seaworthiness and long-range operational capabilities.&nbsp;&nbsp;With state-of-the-art navigation and communication systems, the vessel provides realistic and practical training experiences that prepare students for real-world missions. The ship’s name is derived from the famous island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to the renowned Itsukushima Shrine, symbolizing Japan’s deep maritime traditions.&nbsp;On arrival at Chennai Port, the JCG Ship, commanded by Captain Naoki Mizoguchi, was given a traditional Indian ceremonial welcome, with a National Cadet Corps cadets to cheer the Ship's Crew, and a ceremonial musical band performance.&nbsp;Vice Admiral Hiroaki Kanosue, Vice Commandant Operations of Japan Coast Guard, has also arrived in Chennai to head the JCG delegation for. During this week-long stay at Chennai, the JCG Ship Itsukushima will participate in a number of activities including official calls, reciprocal visits on-board ships, cultural and professional interactions.&nbsp;Notable among the interactions will be the bilateral meet between ICG Additional Director General Donny Michael, the Commander Coast Guard Eastern Seaboard and JCG delegates, which will be followed up by a ‘call-on’ by the JCG delegation to ICG Chief Director General Paramesh Sivamani.&nbsp;​The plethora of bilateral events, which includes a joint session of Yoga, will terminate on12th July. During the Japanese ship's passage to Singapore, the vessel's next Port of Call, the ICG and JCG will engage in Exercise ‘Jaa Mata’, meaning ‘see you later'. Following the joint exercises, four officers from ICG would be embarking the JCG ship as Sea Riders to cement the cohesiveness between the forces.&nbsp;The visit of Japan Coast Guard ship is in line with the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signed between India and Japan in 2006, to promote interaction between the two Coast Guard organisation, including high level visits, annual joint exercises, training exchanges and participation in short term workshops/seminars.

Japanese Coast Guard ship Itsukushima in Chennai on week-long visit 

Japan Coast Guard Ship Itsukushima arrived at the Chennai port on Monday (July 7), as part of its Global Ocean Voyage Training. This visit underscores the deep and enduring bond between the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Japan Coast Guard (JCG). This visit further strengthens the strategic partnership in the vital Indo-Pacific region and enhances inter-operability between the two renowned maritime forces, which are also part of the four-nation Quad grouping. This visit is being coordinated by Headquarters, Coast Guard Region (East),headed by Inspector General Datwinder Singh Saini. Itsukushima, measuring 134 meters long and 5500 tons in displacement, is a training vessel of the Japanese Coast Guard Academy. The ship is also designed to serve in emergency response missions during natural disasters, thanks to its enhanced seaworthiness and long-range operational capabilities. With state-of-the-art navigation and communication systems, the vessel provides realistic and practical training experiences that prepare students for real-world missions. The ship’s name is derived from the famous island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to the renowned Itsukushima Shrine, symbolizing Japan’s deep maritime traditions. On arrival at Chennai Port, the JCG Ship, commanded by Captain Naoki Mizoguchi, was given a traditional Indian ceremonial welcome, with a National Cadet Corps cadets to cheer the Ship's Crew, and a ceremonial musical band performance. Vice Admiral Hiroaki Kanosue, Vice Commandant Operations of Japan Coast Guard, has also arrived in Chennai to head the JCG delegation for. During this week-long stay at Chennai, the JCG Ship Itsukushima will participate in a number of activities including official calls, reciprocal visits on-board ships, cultural and professional interactions. Notable among the interactions will be the bilateral meet between ICG Additional Director General Donny Michael, the Commander Coast Guard Eastern Seaboard and JCG delegates, which will be followed up by a ‘call-on’ by the JCG delegation to ICG Chief Director General Paramesh Sivamani. The plethora of bilateral events, which includes a joint session of Yoga, will terminate on12th July. During the Japanese ship's passage to Singapore, the vessel's next Port of Call, the ICG and JCG will engage in Exercise ‘Jaa Mata’, meaning ‘see you later'. Following the joint exercises, four officers from ICG would be embarking the JCG ship as Sea Riders to cement the cohesiveness between the forces. The visit of Japan Coast Guard ship is in line with the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signed between India and Japan in 2006, to promote interaction between the two Coast Guard organisation, including high level visits, annual joint exercises, training exchanges and participation in short term workshops/seminars.

This visit underscores the deep and enduring bond between the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Japan Coast Guard (JCG)

Japanese Coast Guard ship Itsukushima arrives in Chennai on week-long visit

After having spent more than 10days aboard the International Space Station, Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla rang up the ISRO Chief and top officials. According to ISRO, the call was held on Sunday, July 6th. During the call, ISRO Chief Dr. V.Narayanan expressed keen interest in Shubhanshu's well-being and inquired about the various scientific experiments and activities being conducted on the ISS.&nbsp;Given that Shukla's Axiom-4 mission serves as a precursor to India's own Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, the ISRO Chief emphasized the significance of documenting all experiments and activities meticulously after Shubhanshu's return to Earth. Shukla's experience would provide valuable insights and inputs for Gaganyaan, which India hopes to carry out by the end of this decade. The Gaganyaan program aims to demonstrate India's capability to launch a crewed spacecraft into low Earth orbit, using its own rocket and spacecraft, other associated technologies.&nbsp;The discussion with astronaut Shukla was attended by several senior officials from ISRO, including Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair, Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and Chairman of the Program Management Council for Human Space Programme, M. Mohan, Director, iquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Padmakumar, Director of ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), Ganesh Pillai, Scientific Secretary, ISRO, and Shri N Vedachalam, former Director of LPSC. They deliberated over various aspects of the mission and the experiments being conducted aboard the space station.&nbsp;During the call, Shubhanshu Shukla expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing him with this incredible opportunity to represent India on the ISS, ISRO said. Shukla is the first Indian aboard the International space station and the second Indian to undertake space travel. He also shared updates on the progress of the experiments and activities being carried out on the space station, highlighting the scientific objectives and the challenges being addressed.&nbsp;Over the last four decades(since the first Indian astronaut in space), technology, computing, automation, sensors and software have undergone a complete modernization and have changed the experience of human spaceflight. Further, human spaceflight is all about highly sophisticated human-machine interfaces, something that is outside of ISRO's core expertise. ISRO has vast experience in launching rockets and satellites, but has not undertaken missions involving humans. Which is why Axiom-4 offers many practical learning opportunities. Further, Shukla acknowledged the efforts of ISRO in ensuring his safe travel to the ISS. Dr. Narayanan reiterated that the entire ISRO team is working closely to support him throughout the mission.&nbsp;About Axiom-4 and its astronauts&nbsp;Axiom-4 mission has flown a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station, where they would stay for two weeks and perform 60 experiments. The astronauts flew on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon capsule. Peggy Whitson, America's seniormost astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, leads the Axiom-4 mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla serves as pilot or second-in-command. The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Apart from Peggy, all those aboard this mission are first-time astronauts.&nbsp;This Axiom-4 mission facilitated the return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, given that each nation’s first and only government-sponsored spaceflight had taken place more than 40 years ago. &nbsp;The Indian Government has paid almost $64mn(Rs.550cr) for Shukla's training and spaceflight as part of Axiom-4. &nbsp;

The Gaganyaan program aims to demonstrate Indias capability to launch a crewed spacecraft into low Earth orbit, using its own rocket and spacecraft, other associated technologies.

After having spent more than 10days aboard the International Space Station, Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla rang up the ISRO Chief and top officials. According to ISRO, the call was held on Sunday, July 6th. During the call, ISRO Chief Dr. V.Narayanan expressed keen interest in Shubhanshu's well-being and inquired about the various scientific experiments and activities being conducted on the ISS. Given that Shukla's Axiom-4 mission serves as a precursor to India's own Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, the ISRO Chief emphasized the significance of documenting all experiments and activities meticulously after Shubhanshu's return to Earth. Shukla's experience would provide valuable insights and inputs for Gaganyaan, which India hopes to carry out by the end of this decade. The Gaganyaan program aims to demonstrate India's capability to launch a crewed spacecraft into low Earth orbit, using its own rocket and spacecraft, other associated technologies. The discussion with astronaut Shukla was attended by several senior officials from ISRO, including Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair, Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and Chairman of the Program Management Council for Human Space Programme, M. Mohan, Director, iquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Padmakumar, Director of ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), Ganesh Pillai, Scientific Secretary, ISRO, and Shri N Vedachalam, former Director of LPSC. They deliberated over various aspects of the mission and the experiments being conducted aboard the space station. During the call, Shubhanshu Shukla expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing him with this incredible opportunity to represent India on the ISS, ISRO said. Shukla is the first Indian aboard the International space station and the second Indian to undertake space travel. He also shared updates on the progress of the experiments and activities being carried out on the space station, highlighting the scientific objectives and the challenges being addressed. Over the last four decades(since the first Indian astronaut in space), technology, computing, automation, sensors and software have undergone a complete modernization and have changed the experience of human spaceflight. Further, human spaceflight is all about highly sophisticated human-machine interfaces, something that is outside of ISRO's core expertise. ISRO has vast experience in launching rockets and satellites, but has not undertaken missions involving humans. Which is why Axiom-4 offers many practical learning opportunities. Further, Shukla acknowledged the efforts of ISRO in ensuring his safe travel to the ISS. Dr. Narayanan reiterated that the entire ISRO team is working closely to support him throughout the mission. About Axiom-4 and its astronauts Axiom-4 mission has flown a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station, where they would stay for two weeks and perform 60 experiments. The astronauts flew on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon capsule. Peggy Whitson, America's seniormost astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, leads the Axiom-4 mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla serves as pilot or second-in-command. The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Apart from Peggy, all those aboard this mission are first-time astronauts. This Axiom-4 mission facilitated the return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, given that each nation’s first and only government-sponsored spaceflight had taken place more than 40 years ago. The Indian Government has paid almost $64mn(Rs.550cr) for Shukla's training and spaceflight as part of Axiom-4.

The Gaganyaan program aims to demonstrate India's capability to launch a crewed spacecraft into low Earth orbit, using its own rocket and spacecraft, other associated technologies.

From space station, astronaut Shukla calls ISRO Chief and top officials

Actor-politician Vijay reaffirmed his fledgling political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)’s stance of not allying with either the BJP, which is ruling at the Centre, or the DMK, which is ruling Tamil Nadu. “Our party is firm that we will not have an overt or covert alliance with divisive forces. If our party forms an alliance, we will lead it. Our alliance will oppose both DMK and BJP,” said Vijay, at his political outfit’s executive committee meeting. The assembly polls in the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu are less than 10 months away, and so far Vijay’s party has not firmed up any electoral alliance. An actor for three decades, Vijay is banking on his fan following and the young voters to propel his political journey.&nbsp;In April this year, the state opposition party AIADMK and the BJP, which rules at the Centre, announced their alliance and vowed to take on the DMK-led alliance, which is looking to win a second term in power.&nbsp;In 2021, then Leader of Opposition MK Stalin led the DMK to victory, ousting the AIADMK. This would be the second election for MK Stalin, where he is contesting for the Chief Minister’s post. Under Stalin’s leadership, the DMK-led alliance swept the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, while also winning the 2021 Assembly poll with a thumping majority.&nbsp;While announcing his party resolutions, Vijay accused the BJP of dividing the people of India on religious lines and promoting differences. He expressed confidently that BJP’s tactics would succeed anywhere, but not in Tamil Nadu, which he said is a land of social justice and brotherhood. Vijay added that BJP will not succeed in its attempts to denigrate legacy leaders who have been part of Tamil Nadu’s political landscape. “We are not like DMK or AIADMK that would tie up with the BJP for political gains and selfish reasons,” Vijay stated firmly, affirming his party’s political stance.&nbsp;Training his guns on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin, Vijay read out the contents of a letter which he said he wrote to Stalin, regarding the controversy and farmers’ protests over the proposed Parandur airport that is meant to come up near Chennai. “As residents and farmers of Parandur have been protesting against the proposed airport, I went and met them on behalf of my party TVK. The very next day after my meeting, your Government issued a statement that the airport would be established without affecting the 1,000 families residing there. Are 1,000 families and 15,000 people so insignificant for you? Aren’t they our people? Are you concerned about people when you are in the opposition?,” Vijay questioned.&nbsp;&nbsp;“What is the necessity to build an airport after destroying hundreds of acres of agricultural land, massive water bodies, thousands of homes,” Vijay asked in the letter. The actor-politician also quoted the civil aviation minister as having said that Stalin’s DMK government chose the specific Parandur site for the proposed airport. Vijay also asked why the Chief Minister hadn’t met the protesting residents of Parandur. Further, Vijay urged MK Stalin to meet the protesters and farmers of Parandur, and assure them that an airport would not be built there.&nbsp;“If you don’t meet them and wish to move on from this issue, I myself will bring the protesters (Parandur residents and farmers) to the Secretariat and meet you there. I believe you won’t create such a situation, but if such a situation arises, I am ready to face it.”&nbsp;We are not against development and airport, only the chosen site is wrong, Vijay said, quoting aviation experts. He also raised concerns that building the entire airport infrastructure on waterbodies would end up flooding Chennai city during the monsoon.

The assembly polls in the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu are less than 10 months away, and so far Vijay’s party has not firmed up any electoral alliance. An actor for three decades, Vijay is banking on his fan following and the young voters to propel his political journey.

Actor-politician Vijay reaffirmed his fledgling political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)’s stance of not allying with either the BJP, which is ruling at the Centre, or the DMK, which is ruling Tamil Nadu. “Our party is firm that we will not have an overt or covert alliance with divisive forces. If our party forms an alliance, we will lead it. Our alliance will oppose both DMK and BJP,” said Vijay, at his political outfit’s executive committee meeting. The assembly polls in the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu are less than 10 months away, and so far Vijay’s party has not firmed up any electoral alliance. An actor for three decades, Vijay is banking on his fan following and the young voters to propel his political journey. In April this year, the state opposition party AIADMK and the BJP, which rules at the Centre, announced their alliance and vowed to take on the DMK-led alliance, which is looking to win a second term in power. In 2021, then Leader of Opposition MK Stalin led the DMK to victory, ousting the AIADMK. This would be the second election for MK Stalin, where he is contesting for the Chief Minister’s post. Under Stalin’s leadership, the DMK-led alliance swept the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, while also winning the 2021 Assembly poll with a thumping majority. While announcing his party resolutions, Vijay accused the BJP of dividing the people of India on religious lines and promoting differences. He expressed confidently that BJP’s tactics would succeed anywhere, but not in Tamil Nadu, which he said is a land of social justice and brotherhood. Vijay added that BJP will not succeed in its attempts to denigrate legacy leaders who have been part of Tamil Nadu’s political landscape. “We are not like DMK or AIADMK that would tie up with the BJP for political gains and selfish reasons,” Vijay stated firmly, affirming his party’s political stance. Training his guns on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin, Vijay read out the contents of a letter which he said he wrote to Stalin, regarding the controversy and farmers’ protests over the proposed Parandur airport that is meant to come up near Chennai. “As residents and farmers of Parandur have been protesting against the proposed airport, I went and met them on behalf of my party TVK. The very next day after my meeting, your Government issued a statement that the airport would be established without affecting the 1,000 families residing there. Are 1,000 families and 15,000 people so insignificant for you? Aren’t they our people? Are you concerned about people when you are in the opposition?,” Vijay questioned. “What is the necessity to build an airport after destroying hundreds of acres of agricultural land, massive water bodies, thousands of homes,” Vijay asked in the letter. The actor-politician also quoted the civil aviation minister as having said that Stalin’s DMK government chose the specific Parandur site for the proposed airport. Vijay also asked why the Chief Minister hadn’t met the protesting residents of Parandur. Further, Vijay urged MK Stalin to meet the protesters and farmers of Parandur, and assure them that an airport would not be built there. “If you don’t meet them and wish to move on from this issue, I myself will bring the protesters (Parandur residents and farmers) to the Secretariat and meet you there. I believe you won’t create such a situation, but if such a situation arises, I am ready to face it.” We are not against development and airport, only the chosen site is wrong, Vijay said, quoting aviation experts. He also raised concerns that building the entire airport infrastructure on waterbodies would end up flooding Chennai city during the monsoon.

The assembly polls in the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu are less than 10 months away, and so far Vijay’s party has not firmed up any electoral alliance. An actor for three decades, Vijay is banking on his fan following and the young voters to propel his political journey.

Actor-politician Vijay rules out alliance with DMK or BJP

With India making significant investments in the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, the proposed Bharatiya Antariksh Station (India’s own space station), and the Chandrayaan-series of Lunar exploration missions, the country must focus on fundamental Research and Development in the Science domain, said ISRO Chief Dr. V. Narayanan. Emphasising that even school students would question the rationale behind the government spending taxpayers’ money on such expensive, high-profile missions, he added that such spending can be justified only with focussed science experiments being carried out. He urged the Indian space science fraternity to review existing scientific literature and frame proper, unique experiments. The chief of the Indian space agency made these remarks during the formal announcement of the 23rd National Space Science Symposium (NSSS) that would be hosted by the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) in 2026.&nbsp;The NSSS is India’s flagship event for space science. Held once in two years, the event brings together experts from ISRO, academia, autonomous institutes, and research institutes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Explaining the importance of the event, ISRO’s Scientific Secretary Ganesh Pillai said, NSSS is a key platform for researchers, scientists, and academicians. It spans multiple domains, including atmospheric science, near-earth space, the solar system, astronomy, and astrophysics. It covers all aspects of space science—from surface to cosmos.&nbsp;&nbsp;At the event, new science discoveries are unveiled, tech advancements are discussed, and it is crucial for exchanging scientific results, he added. The scientific sessions at the NSSS will witness the unveiling of research data from ISRO’s space science and exploratory missions.&nbsp;India is looking to make a huge investment and build our Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) that weighs 52 tonnes. Such initiatives would be justified only when we do meaningful and useful science. Further, he contemplated on the need for assigning an ISRO Project Director to oversee science experiments and concentrate exclusively on that domain.&nbsp;“During my visits, I witnessed that foreign universities are doing a different class of science experiments, likewise, Indian laboratories need to give due importance to science,” he added. He said that science had to be a key focus area in India, just like routine activities such as satellite building for earth observation, communication, remote sensing, and building and launching rockets.&nbsp;&nbsp;Referring to the Indian Aditya-L1 sun-study mission which reached its destination L1 point in early 2024, Dr. Narayanan mentioned that ISRO was releasing science data in tranches of over 5 terabytes (more than 5,000GB) each. He urged his fraternity that the science data and findings derived from Indian missions such as the Chandrayaan-series must not remain confined to the elite circles within academia and scientists, but must reach the villages of the country and the commoners. “Commoners know that Chandrayaan-3 landed on the moon, but how many know that the mission found minerals in the lunar soil, measured the temperature variation there and also detected seismic activity on the moon?,” the ISRO Chief asked.&nbsp;Recently, we sent our Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla to the Space Station. Sending him is one aspect—sending (rocket launch) is by a foreign nation, we (India) have paid money, with that expertise he will be sent safely, that is equivalent to a little more than aircraft travel, but what is the output? Of course, there is a confidence gaining, experience etc. But the main output is the seven science experiments being carried by Shukla.&nbsp;Referring to the importance of Shukla’s experiments in space, Dr. Narayanan mentioned about how they would involve studies about the muscle system and their behaviour in the microgravity environment of space, and growth of seeds in the space environment, among others.

Emphasising that even school students would question the rationale behind the government spending taxpayers’ money on such expensive, high-profile missions, the ISRO chief added that such spending can be justified only with focussed science experiments being carried out.

With India making significant investments in the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, the proposed Bharatiya Antariksh Station (India’s own space station), and the Chandrayaan-series of Lunar exploration missions, the country must focus on fundamental Research and Development in the Science domain, said ISRO Chief Dr. V. Narayanan. Emphasising that even school students would question the rationale behind the government spending taxpayers’ money on such expensive, high-profile missions, he added that such spending can be justified only with focussed science experiments being carried out. He urged the Indian space science fraternity to review existing scientific literature and frame proper, unique experiments. The chief of the Indian space agency made these remarks during the formal announcement of the 23rd National Space Science Symposium (NSSS) that would be hosted by the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) in 2026. The NSSS is India’s flagship event for space science. Held once in two years, the event brings together experts from ISRO, academia, autonomous institutes, and research institutes. Explaining the importance of the event, ISRO’s Scientific Secretary Ganesh Pillai said, NSSS is a key platform for researchers, scientists, and academicians. It spans multiple domains, including atmospheric science, near-earth space, the solar system, astronomy, and astrophysics. It covers all aspects of space science—from surface to cosmos. At the event, new science discoveries are unveiled, tech advancements are discussed, and it is crucial for exchanging scientific results, he added. The scientific sessions at the NSSS will witness the unveiling of research data from ISRO’s space science and exploratory missions. India is looking to make a huge investment and build our Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) that weighs 52 tonnes. Such initiatives would be justified only when we do meaningful and useful science. Further, he contemplated on the need for assigning an ISRO Project Director to oversee science experiments and concentrate exclusively on that domain. “During my visits, I witnessed that foreign universities are doing a different class of science experiments, likewise, Indian laboratories need to give due importance to science,” he added. He said that science had to be a key focus area in India, just like routine activities such as satellite building for earth observation, communication, remote sensing, and building and launching rockets. Referring to the Indian Aditya-L1 sun-study mission which reached its destination L1 point in early 2024, Dr. Narayanan mentioned that ISRO was releasing science data in tranches of over 5 terabytes (more than 5,000GB) each. He urged his fraternity that the science data and findings derived from Indian missions such as the Chandrayaan-series must not remain confined to the elite circles within academia and scientists, but must reach the villages of the country and the commoners. “Commoners know that Chandrayaan-3 landed on the moon, but how many know that the mission found minerals in the lunar soil, measured the temperature variation there and also detected seismic activity on the moon?,” the ISRO Chief asked. Recently, we sent our Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla to the Space Station. Sending him is one aspect—sending (rocket launch) is by a foreign nation, we (India) have paid money, with that expertise he will be sent safely, that is equivalent to a little more than aircraft travel, but what is the output? Of course, there is a confidence gaining, experience etc. But the main output is the seven science experiments being carried by Shukla. Referring to the importance of Shukla’s experiments in space, Dr. Narayanan mentioned about how they would involve studies about the muscle system and their behaviour in the microgravity environment of space, and growth of seeds in the space environment, among others.

Emphasising that even school students would question the rationale behind the government spending taxpayers’ money on such expensive, high-profile missions, the ISRO chief added that such spending can be justified only with focussed science experiments being carried out.

For India, fundamental R&D on science is crucial: ISRO Chief Dr. Narayanan

In an ongoing investigation into an investment scam, police in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu have announced that they successfully identified and traced eight victims of a China-linked investment fraud. The victims are said to include individuals from across India: Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi, Jammu &amp; Kashmir, and Uttar Pradesh. The respective State Cyber Police units have been alerted, thereby preventing further financial exploitation by the scammers, said the Tamil Nadu Police.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to the Tamil Nadu Police, their Data Analysis and Intelligence Operation, led by Shahnaz Illyas, IPS, Superintendent of Police, Cyber Crime Wing, identified mule accounts under the direct influence of Chinese scamsters. A banking mule account is one that is used to transfer illegally acquired money. Typically, criminals recruit money mules by offering them jobs such as ‘financial agent’ or ‘payment processor’ and offer them easy money for moving funds between accounts and keeping the information secret.&nbsp;Based on this initial information, the Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing contacted the Fraud Risk Management Team of multiple banks and placed the suspected accounts under surveillance.&nbsp;“A thorough investigation into the suspicious banking activities linked to the cybercriminal gang uncovered several high-value transactions from outside the country. These findings point to the existence of an organised international fraud network operating with considerable sophistication,” said the police.&nbsp;They identified individuals from six different states who appeared to be victims of the fraud but had not yet filed formal complaints, indicating that the exploitation is ongoing and possibly expanding. The Cyber Crime wings of the other Indian states have also confirmed that the victims appeared to be under the influence of fraudsters using investment scam tactics to lure them into transferring large sums of money under false pretenses of high returns.&nbsp;The preemptive intervention and freezing of the suspicious transaction by the Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing helped in preventing huge sums of money from going into the hands of the international cybercriminals. Also, if left undeterred, the victims would have been subjected to more financial loss by investing in the fake investing website, said the police.&nbsp;&nbsp;Meanwhile, the police have issued an advisory, urging people not to fall for unrealistic investment schemes promising high returns.

The Cyber Crime wings of the other Indian states have also confirmed that the victims appeared to be under the influence of fraudsters using investment scam tactics to lure them into transferring large sums of money under false pretenses of high returns.

In an ongoing investigation into an investment scam, police in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu have announced that they successfully identified and traced eight victims of a China-linked investment fraud. The victims are said to include individuals from across India: Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttar Pradesh. The respective State Cyber Police units have been alerted, thereby preventing further financial exploitation by the scammers, said the Tamil Nadu Police. According to the Tamil Nadu Police, their Data Analysis and Intelligence Operation, led by Shahnaz Illyas, IPS, Superintendent of Police, Cyber Crime Wing, identified mule accounts under the direct influence of Chinese scamsters. A banking mule account is one that is used to transfer illegally acquired money. Typically, criminals recruit money mules by offering them jobs such as ‘financial agent’ or ‘payment processor’ and offer them easy money for moving funds between accounts and keeping the information secret. Based on this initial information, the Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing contacted the Fraud Risk Management Team of multiple banks and placed the suspected accounts under surveillance. “A thorough investigation into the suspicious banking activities linked to the cybercriminal gang uncovered several high-value transactions from outside the country. These findings point to the existence of an organised international fraud network operating with considerable sophistication,” said the police. They identified individuals from six different states who appeared to be victims of the fraud but had not yet filed formal complaints, indicating that the exploitation is ongoing and possibly expanding. The Cyber Crime wings of the other Indian states have also confirmed that the victims appeared to be under the influence of fraudsters using investment scam tactics to lure them into transferring large sums of money under false pretenses of high returns. The preemptive intervention and freezing of the suspicious transaction by the Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing helped in preventing huge sums of money from going into the hands of the international cybercriminals. Also, if left undeterred, the victims would have been subjected to more financial loss by investing in the fake investing website, said the police. Meanwhile, the police have issued an advisory, urging people not to fall for unrealistic investment schemes promising high returns.

The cybercrime wings of the other Indian states have also confirmed that the victims appeared to be under the influence of fraudsters using investment scam tactics to lure them into transferring large sums of money under false pretenses of high returns.

China-linked cybercrime thwarted, says Tamil Nadu Police

India is working with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to strengthen maritime cooperation, enhance cruise shipping connectivity, and promote sustainable tourism across the Indo-Pacific region, said the Indian government. India is hosting the second edition of the ASEAN Cruise dialogue, and this is the first time that the event is being held in India. According to officials, the plan is to develop a route similar to the Caribbean cruise circuit in India's neighbourhood. A Caribbean cruise circuit refers to a planned route that a cruise ship follows as it sails through various ports in the Caribbean Sea. It typically starts from one port, visits two or three other ports and returns to the origin port, making it a loop or circuit.&nbsp;The meeting held in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu is being attended by all the member nations of ASEAN: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor Leste. According to India's Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, this multilateral dialogue is meant to develop collaboration and cooperation to promote&nbsp;the cruise shipping industry and make use of its full potential.During the ongoing meet, the delegation will visit the UNESCO World Heritage town of Mamallapuram, near Chennai. They will deliberate on heritage-led cruise tourism and deeper ASEAN–India collaboration. Delegates will also tour the shore temples and rock-cut monuments, highlighting India’s cultural and coastal tourism appeal."We are joining hands so that, in this part of the world, ASEAN and India can play an important role. India plans to operationalise 5,000 km of navigable waterways to enhance cruise connectivity with ASEAN nations. India plans to work with ASEAN countries to develop cruise tourism and tourism circuits in the Bay of Bengal as well as the Indian Ocean region. An integrated cruise network linking Indian ports with ASEAN destinations, supported by real-time tracking and modern terminals, is being envisaged which will be deliberated in this meet," Sonowal said. Highlighting the growth in the Indian cruise shipping sector, the minister said that there has been a more than fivefold growth in passengers over the last decade.Event participants include government officials and policy leaders, as well as industry leaders from the region. They are also deliberating on connectivity gaps, regulatory best practices, and pathways to promote inclusive and sustainable cruise growth in the region. The Government of India envisions the ASEAN–India Cruise Dialogue as a recurring multilateral forum that will serve as a strategic enabler for regional maritime growth and people-to-people connectivity. This edition marks a significant step in positioning India and ASEAN at the centre of cruise tourism in the Indo-Pacific. &nbsp;

According to officials, the plan is to develop a route similar to the Caribbean cruise circuit in India's neighbourhood. A Caribbean cruise circuit refers to a planned route that a cruise ship follows as it sails through various ports in the Caribbean Sea. 

India is working with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to strengthen maritime cooperation, enhance cruise shipping connectivity, and promote sustainable tourism across the Indo-Pacific region, said the Indian government. India is hosting the second edition of the ASEAN Cruise dialogue, and this is the first time that the event is being held in India. According to officials, the plan is to develop a route similar to the Caribbean cruise circuit in India's neighbourhood. A Caribbean cruise circuit refers to a planned route that a cruise ship follows as it sails through various ports in the Caribbean Sea. It typically starts from one port, visits two or three other ports and returns to the origin port, making it a loop or circuit. The meeting held in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu is being attended by all the member nations of ASEAN: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor Leste. According to India's Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, this multilateral dialogue is meant to develop collaboration and cooperation to promote the cruise shipping industry and make use of its full potential. During the ongoing meet, the delegation will visit the UNESCO World Heritage town of Mamallapuram, near Chennai. They will deliberate on heritage-led cruise tourism and deeper ASEAN–India collaboration. Delegates will also tour the shore temples and rock-cut monuments, highlighting India’s cultural and coastal tourism appeal. "We are joining hands so that, in this part of the world, ASEAN and India can play an important role. India plans to operationalise 5,000 km of navigable waterways to enhance cruise connectivity with ASEAN nations. India plans to work with ASEAN countries to develop cruise tourism and tourism circuits in the Bay of Bengal as well as the Indian Ocean region. An integrated cruise network linking Indian ports with ASEAN destinations, supported by real-time tracking and modern terminals, is being envisaged which will be deliberated in this meet," Sonowal said. Highlighting the growth in the Indian cruise shipping sector, the minister said that there has been a more than fivefold growth in passengers over the last decade. Event participants include government officials and policy leaders, as well as industry leaders from the region. They are also deliberating on connectivity gaps, regulatory best practices, and pathways to promote inclusive and sustainable cruise growth in the region. The Government of India envisions the ASEAN–India Cruise Dialogue as a recurring multilateral forum that will serve as a strategic enabler for regional maritime growth and people-to-people connectivity. This edition marks a significant step in positioning India and ASEAN at the centre of cruise tourism in the Indo-Pacific.

According to officials, the plan is to develop a route similar to the Caribbean cruise circuit in India's neighbourhood. A Caribbean cruise circuit refers to a planned route that a cruise ship follows as it sails through various ports in the Caribbean Sea.&nbsp;

India working with ASEAN to develop Caribbean-like Cruise circuit, Govt says

Indian Navy's frontline stealth frigate INS Tabar on Monday (Jun 30) was made part of a firefighting operation in the Gulf of Oman, following a distress call from the Palau-flagged tanker vessel MT Yi Cheng 6. Sailing from Kandla in India's Gujarat to Shinas, Oman, the vessel carrying 14 Indian crew reportedly experienced a major fire in the engine room and total power failure.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianNavy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndianNavy</a>&#39;s stealth frigate<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INSTabar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INSTabar</a>, mission deployed in the Gulf of Oman, responded to a distress call from Pulau flagged MT Yi Cheng 6, on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/29Jun?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#29Jun</a> 25. The vessel with 14 crew members of Indian origin, transiting from Kandla, India to Shinas, Oman, experienced a major fire… <a href="https://t.co/hcwCalBW96">pic.twitter.com/hcwCalBW96</a>&mdash; SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) <a href="https://twitter.com/indiannavy/status/1939533699722396000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Responding to the distress call, INS Tabar reached the scene and deployed its firefighting team and equipment, which were transferred onboard the distressed vessel using a boat and a helicopter."13 Indian naval personnel and 5 crew members of the stricken tanker are currently involved in firefighting operations, with the intensity of fire onboard reduced drastically," said the Indian Navy.&nbsp;<h2>How the Indian Navy and Coast Guard aid distressed Mariners&nbsp;</h2>In India's Exclusive Economic Zone of over 2.1 million square kilometres and the larger Indian search and rescue region of over 4.5 million square kilometres, the Indian Coast Guard deploys its ships and aircraft for routine surveillance. During times of distress, the assets are diverted to the scene to render assistance. From ship fires to capsized fishing boats to medical evacuations from ships to combating pollution at sea, the ICG carries out a wide range of tasks.&nbsp;Though a war-fighting maritime force, the Indian naval assets also render assistance to distressed Mariners in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone and Search and Rescue region, depending on the proximity of assets and their requirement.&nbsp;Further, given that the Indian Navy deploys its assets far from Indian shores and well into the larger Indian Ocean region, the naval assets render assistance to distressed mariners in international waters as well. Projecting India's maritime might and safeguarding India's maritime interests, the Navy undertakes anti-piracy operations and monitors and protects vital sea lanes.&nbsp;

Responding to the distress call, INS Tabar reached the scene and deployed its onboard boat and helicopter, transferring firefighting crew and equipment. 

Indian Navy's frontline stealth frigate INS Tabar on Monday (Jun 30) was made part of a firefighting operation in the Gulf of Oman, following a distress call from the Palau-flagged tanker vessel MT Yi Cheng 6. Sailing from Kandla in India's Gujarat to Shinas, Oman, the vessel carrying 14 Indian crew reportedly experienced a major fire in the engine room and total power failure.

Responding to the distress call, INS Tabar reached the scene and deployed its onboard boat and helicopter, transferring firefighting crew and equipment.&nbsp;

Indian Navy's warship INS Tabar aids ablaze tanker in Gulf Of Oman

With the American Axiom-4 mission having docked to the International Space Station, more than 280 individuals (as astronauts or private visitors, and even film crew), from 26 countries have visited the International Space Station. India's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is one among them and he is the first Indian aboard the International Space Station. However, among these 26 nations that have sent their nationals to the International Space Station, only two have the holistic&nbsp; capability (Rocket, spacecraft, related infrastructure) to independently launch and return crew- Russia and USA.&nbsp;Meanwhile, China operates its own Tiangong Space Station and has the same capability. Since the year 2018, India has been working on its independent Human Spaceflight programme named Gaganyaan. At the initial level, Gaganyaan would involve launching Indian astronauts on an Indian rocket and capsule, to circle the earth, perform basic experiments within the capsule, and return safely for a splashdown landing.&nbsp;In his 2018 Independence Day speech, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Gaganyaan would be accomplished in 2022, marking the 75th&nbsp;year of Indian independence. As of today, the technologically challenging Gaganyaan programme remains in its development and testing phase, and is years away from materializing. When Gaganyaan becomes a reality, India will become the fourth nation after Russia, US, China, to independently launch humans to space, a feat that instills national pride like no other. For the long-term, the Indian Government has also announced a space vision that includes building an Indian space station, and an Indian astronaut setting foot on the moon.&nbsp;<h2>Why Axiom-4 is a stepping stone to Gaganyaan, a paid mission</h2>The first and only Indian (until Shubhanshu Shukla) to undertake spaceflight is Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew on the Soviet Interkosmos mission to the Salyut-7 Soviet Space station, back in the year 1984. Over the last four decades, technology, computing, automation, sensors and software have undergone a complete modernisation and have changed the experience of spaceflight. Further, human spaceflight is all about highly sophisticated human-machine interfaces, something that is outside of ISRO's core expertise. ISRO has vast experience in launching rockets and satellites, but has not undertaken missions involving humans.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to top ISRO officials, the Indian Space agency has only Sharma's Soviet-era experience to rely upon when it comes to crucial guidance and inputs from an Indian astronaut, while designing and developing Gaganyaan. Given that Indian teams working on Gaganyaan require an understanding of contemporary spaceflight and related technologies, the Axiom-4 mission serves as a stepping stone to Gaganyaan.&nbsp;&nbsp;As part of Axiom-4, Shukla gets to travel aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, nestled in the ultra-modern Crew Dragon capsule, he also gets to live and work aboard the space station. His practical experience and know-how could help refine India's own efforts towards Gaganyaan. Which is why the Indian Government has paid Rs.550 crore (approx $64mn) for getting a seat for an Indian astronaut on Axiom-4, through a pact with NASA.&nbsp; However, it must be emphasized that the Axiom-4 mission is only a minor stepping stone towards the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission. In the coming years,&nbsp;India needs to accomplish thousands of tests and technology developments before the homegrown Gaganyaan takes flight. This process leading to human spaceflight is one that is filled with trial and error.&nbsp;Axiom-4 showcases the pinnacle of American human spaceflight technology, and is the result of painstaking efforts by the US space ecosystem. Likewise, in future, as India executes Gaganyaan, it is expected that a similar space ecosystem would emerge in India, thereby growing Indian industry, academia.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Speaking live from Space, Gp Capt Shukla says in Hindi, &quot;My journey to <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a> &amp; stay there is a small, solid, steady step towards the 🇮🇳 Human Spaceflight programme Gaganyaan&quot; PS: For India, remember, Gaganyaan is the eventual goal and big mission. <a href="https://t.co/4fuECuJ4Ry">pic.twitter.com/4fuECuJ4Ry</a>&mdash; Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1938122047999107169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Axiom-4 and India's road to Atmanirbharta (self-reliance)</h2>Group Captain Shukla is the second Indian to go to space, an Indian returns to space after 41 years, he is also the first Indian to go aboard the Space Station. However, it must be remembered that Shukla is flying on an American rocket, on an American capsule, from American soil. This is exactly like Rakesh Sharma's Soviet-era flight on a Soviet rocket and capsule. As such, there is no core Indian technology involved in this mission, except for the few science experiments being carried by Shukla.&nbsp;Going by Shukla's own words spoken live from space, "My journey to Space station and my stay there is a small, solid, steady step towards the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme Gaganyaan".&nbsp;For several decades, the Indian Navy has operated leased Russian-origin nuclear submarines, which helped in practically learning about the technology, its operation, strategic capabilities, and much more. But India's real gamechangers have been the homegrown nuclear submarines of the Arihant-class and its successors. Likewise, the Indian Navy has been operating foreign-origin aircraft carriers for several decades. However, the biggest milestone in Indian shipbuilding was the operationalization of the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, built in Kochi, Kerala.&nbsp;The American Axiom-4 and India's homegrown Gaganyaan are to be seen like the Indian Navy's foreign-origin platforms that eventually offered a stepping stone for India to develop its own.

For India, Axiom-4 is a small step; Gaganyaan is the goal

With the American Axiom-4 mission having docked to the International Space Station, more than 280 individuals (as astronauts or private visitors, and even film crew), from 26 countries have visited the International Space Station. India's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is one among them and he is the first Indian aboard the International Space Station. However, among these 26 nations that have sent their nationals to the International Space Station, only two have the holistic capability (Rocket, spacecraft, related infrastructure) to independently launch and return crew- Russia and USA. Meanwhile, China operates its own Tiangong Space Station and has the same capability. Since the year 2018, India has been working on its independent Human Spaceflight programme named Gaganyaan. At the initial level, Gaganyaan would involve launching Indian astronauts on an Indian rocket and capsule, to circle the earth, perform basic experiments within the capsule, and return safely for a splashdown landing. In his 2018 Independence Day speech, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Gaganyaan would be accomplished in 2022, marking the 75th year of Indian independence. As of today, the technologically challenging Gaganyaan programme remains in its development and testing phase, and is years away from materializing. When Gaganyaan becomes a reality, India will become the fourth nation after Russia, US, China, to independently launch humans to space, a feat that instills national pride like no other. For the long-term, the Indian Government has also announced a space vision that includes building an Indian space station, and an Indian astronaut setting foot on the moon. Why Axiom-4 is a stepping stone to Gaganyaan, a paid mission The first and only Indian (until Shubhanshu Shukla) to undertake spaceflight is Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew on the Soviet Interkosmos mission to the Salyut-7 Soviet Space station, back in the year 1984. Over the last four decades, technology, computing, automation, sensors and software have undergone a complete modernisation and have changed the experience of spaceflight. Further, human spaceflight is all about highly sophisticated human-machine interfaces, something that is outside of ISRO's core expertise. ISRO has vast experience in launching rockets and satellites, but has not undertaken missions involving humans. According to top ISRO officials, the Indian Space agency has only Sharma's Soviet-era experience to rely upon when it comes to crucial guidance and inputs from an Indian astronaut, while designing and developing Gaganyaan. Given that Indian teams working on Gaganyaan require an understanding of contemporary spaceflight and related technologies, the Axiom-4 mission serves as a stepping stone to Gaganyaan. As part of Axiom-4, Shukla gets to travel aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, nestled in the ultra-modern Crew Dragon capsule, he also gets to live and work aboard the space station. His practical experience and know-how could help refine India's own efforts towards Gaganyaan. Which is why the Indian Government has paid Rs.550 crore (approx $64mn) for getting a seat for an Indian astronaut on Axiom-4, through a pact with NASA. However, it must be emphasized that the Axiom-4 mission is only a minor stepping stone towards the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission. In the coming years, India needs to accomplish thousands of tests and technology developments before the homegrown Gaganyaan takes flight. This process leading to human spaceflight is one that is filled with trial and error. Axiom-4 showcases the pinnacle of American human spaceflight technology, and is the result of painstaking efforts by the US space ecosystem. Likewise, in future, as India executes Gaganyaan, it is expected that a similar space ecosystem would emerge in India, thereby growing Indian industry, academia.

When Gaganyaan becomes a reality, India will become the fourth nation after Russia, US, China, to independently launch humans to space, a feat that instills national pride like no other

Axiom-4 astronauts aboard the Crew Dragon capsule, nestled atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, blasted off at 12:01 pm Indian time, 25th June, Wednesday. Barely 13 minutes after liftoff, the SpaceX rocket placed them in orbit around the Earth, and the crew began feeling microgravity-induced weightlessness. However, their journey to the International Space Station would take as much as 28 hours. Here are the technical and scientific reasons behind why the four astronauts would reach the International Space Station only by 4:30 pm Indian time, 26th June, Thursday.&nbsp;<h2>Energy and fuel-efficient spaceflight</h2>&nbsp;There are space missions where the crew reach the space station within seven hours of launch, this is known as "fast rendezvous". However, that requires highly precise planning, perfect alignment between the launching spaceport and the space station. Approaching the space station in such a short duration also requires a higher number of manoeuvres and engine firings. This would mean that more fuel is consumed in the process. To cater for this, the spacecraft must carry adequate fuel, and the rocket must be capable of lifting the heavier craft.&nbsp;Instead, the Crew Dragon capsule is taking the 28-hour option. This allows adequate time to perform various system checks before gradually pushing the craft into orbit where the Space Station is. During this 28-hour journey, the Crew Dragon craft works fully autonomously, with the four astronauts only monitoring all the crucial parameters. In extremely rare cases, the Mission Commander(leader) would have to use the touch screen controls and take control of the touchscreen interfaces to manually manoeuvre the craft. However, such occasions are very rare with the Crew Dragon.&nbsp;<h2>Crew Dragon and Space Station - Both orbits need to intersect</h2>&nbsp;Initially, the Crew Dragon Spacecraft is launched into an orbit (circular path) that is 200 km above the Earth. The Space Station is about 400 km above the Earth. The way space works, it is not possible for Crew Dragon to travel 200 km straight upwards and meet up with the space station immediately. Therefore, the Crew Dragon gradually adjusts its orbits via a series of engine burns. Each of these engines burns pushes the craft into a higher circular path (orbit), and eventually brings it into a path that matches that of the International Space Station. It must be remembered that objects in low Earth orbit travel at 28,000kmph, and extreme care must be taken during manoeuvres.&nbsp;<h2>The final runup to Docking</h2>&nbsp;The final approach is done in stages, once the Crew Dragon spacecraft gets barely 400 meters from the Space Station. Then, the Crew Dragon gradually moves itself towards the Space Station, while maintaining constant communication. The 400 metres is brought down to 200 meters, and eventually 30 meters and then the docking takes place. At each of these distances, the spacecraft may hold to carry out system checks, communicate with the space station and ground controllers, and monitor other technical parameters. When within 30meters of the space station, the Crew Dragon uses its cameras, Light Detection and Ranging(LIDAR) sensors.&nbsp;<h2>Docking</h2>&nbsp;While a few centimetres away from the Space station, the docking ring of the spacecraft makes contact with the space station's docking port. Then, once aligned, the latching mechanisms align and create a pressure-tight seal. The electrical and data connections are made, and the Crew Dragon becomes a part of the ISS. After various checks are carried out, the hatches on both sides are opened, and the Crew Dragon astronauts enter the space station. &nbsp;

Barely 13 minutes after liftoff, SpaceX rocket placed them in orbit around the Earth, but their journey to the ISS would take as much as 28 hours.

Axiom-4 astronauts aboard the Crew Dragon capsule, nestled atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, blasted off at 12:01 pm Indian time, 25th June, Wednesday. Barely 13 minutes after liftoff, the SpaceX rocket placed them in orbit around the Earth, and the crew began feeling microgravity-induced weightlessness. However, their journey to the International Space Station would take as much as 28 hours. Here are the technical and scientific reasons behind why the four astronauts would reach the International Space Station only by 4:30 pm Indian time, 26th June, Thursday. Energy and fuel-efficient spaceflight There are space missions where the crew reach the space station within seven hours of launch, this is known as "fast rendezvous". However, that requires highly precise planning, perfect alignment between the launching spaceport and the space station. Approaching the space station in such a short duration also requires a higher number of manoeuvres and engine firings. This would mean that more fuel is consumed in the process. To cater for this, the spacecraft must carry adequate fuel, and the rocket must be capable of lifting the heavier craft. Instead, the Crew Dragon capsule is taking the 28-hour option. This allows adequate time to perform various system checks before gradually pushing the craft into orbit where the Space Station is. During this 28-hour journey, the Crew Dragon craft works fully autonomously, with the four astronauts only monitoring all the crucial parameters. In extremely rare cases, the Mission Commander(leader) would have to use the touch screen controls and take control of the touchscreen interfaces to manually manoeuvre the craft. However, such occasions are very rare with the Crew Dragon. Crew Dragon and Space Station - Both orbits need to intersect Initially, the Crew Dragon Spacecraft is launched into an orbit (circular path) that is 200 km above the Earth. The Space Station is about 400 km above the Earth. The way space works, it is not possible for Crew Dragon to travel 200 km straight upwards and meet up with the space station immediately. Therefore, the Crew Dragon gradually adjusts its orbits via a series of engine burns. Each of these engines burns pushes the craft into a higher circular path (orbit), and eventually brings it into a path that matches that of the International Space Station. It must be remembered that objects in low Earth orbit travel at 28,000kmph, and extreme care must be taken during manoeuvres. The final runup to Docking The final approach is done in stages, once the Crew Dragon spacecraft gets barely 400 meters from the Space Station. Then, the Crew Dragon gradually moves itself towards the Space Station, while maintaining constant communication. The 400 metres is brought down to 200 meters, and eventually 30 meters and then the docking takes place. At each of these distances, the spacecraft may hold to carry out system checks, communicate with the space station and ground controllers, and monitor other technical parameters. When within 30meters of the space station, the Crew Dragon uses its cameras, Light Detection and Ranging(LIDAR) sensors. Docking While a few centimetres away from the Space station, the docking ring of the spacecraft makes contact with the space station's docking port. Then, once aligned, the latching mechanisms align and create a pressure-tight seal. The electrical and data connections are made, and the Crew Dragon becomes a part of the ISS. After various checks are carried out, the hatches on both sides are opened, and the Crew Dragon astronauts enter the space station.

Barely 13 minutes after liftoff, the SpaceX rocket placed them in orbit around the Earth, but their journey to the International Space Station would take as much as 28 hours.

EXPLAINED | Why does it take 28 hours for Axiom-4 astronauts to reach space station?

Amid endless delays and uncertainty over the American Axiom-4 human spaceflight mission launch, few members of the Indian delegation that had travelled to the US for this landmark event have returned to India. ISRO Chief Dr. V. Narayanan confirmed to WION's Sidharth M.P. about having returned to India along with a handful of top delegates from ISRO. In the first week of June, WION had reported about the 18-member Indian delegation that had travelled to Florida ahead of the Axiom-4 launch that will see India's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla fly to space, and make history as the second Indian to undertake human spaceflight.While a few delegates led by the ISRO Chief have returned, Indian astronauts Group Captain Shukla (primary astronaut) and Group Captain PB Nair (backup candidate) continue to carry out their respective duties in the US as part of the Axiom-4 mission. The duo have been in the US since August 2024 for their human spaceflight training as part of the Axiom-4 mission. Remaining members of the Indian delegation continue to stay in Florida, USA, in anticipation of the launch.<h2>Axiom-4 and the series of endless delays</h2>The Axiom-4 mission carrying four astronauts was scheduled for liftoff on May 29th 2025, but repeated delays have pushed the launch well into the last week of June. The concerned American entities (Axiom, SpaceX, NASA) have not revealed a new targeted launch date yet. Typically, launch dates are revealed at least four or five days ahead.Originally targeted for a May 29th launch, it was pushed to June 8th, June 9th, June 10th, June 11th, June 19th, and June 22nd. Notably, June 22nd was the 7th launch date for this mission, and it turns out it is not even "7th time lucky" for Axiom-4 and its crew.So far, this mission has been delayed owing to- the replacement of parts on the SpaceX Crew Dragon Spacecraft, technical issues with a Falcon 9 rocket engine, unfavourable weather, a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon 9 rocket, and an anomaly in the Russian Zvezda module on the International Space Station.<h2>Axiom-4 crew nears one-month in quarantine</h2>The Axiom-4 crew went into pre-launch mandatory quarantine on 26th May and remains in isolation. Pre-launch quarantine is followed to closely monitor the astronauts' health to avoid exposure to any last-minute illness. Quarantine is also important to ensure that the astronauts flying to the space station don't carry any infection to the closed environment of the orbiting lab. With the launch date now uncertain, it seems that the crew would end up spending a month or more in quarantine.Typical pre-launch quarantines for the International Space Station crew last two weeks. The Axiom-4 crew will end up spending double that period in quarantine. In mid-2024, Boeing Starliner astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore also had to spend about a month in quarantine due to repeated delays with their launch.&nbsp;In preparation for spaceflight, astronauts have to maintain peak mental and physical health. A mission delay would mean that they must sustain that peak for a longer period of time.<h2>How mission delays affect the science experiments by astronauts</h2>India's Shukla will be carrying seven experiments with him to the microgravity environment of the International Space Station. Some of the experiments involve biological material (seeds, bacteria, muscle cells), which are time-sensitive. Ideally, had the launch happened on 8th June, the astronauts would have completed their mission and returned to Earth by this week. However, with the sensitive experiments languishing on Earth for over three weeks, they too require replacement/specific care to be maintained in pristine condition. Questions remain over how the endless mission delay could affect the quality of the science experiments that will be conducted by the Axiom-4 crew in space.<h2>Axiom-4 must launch this week or wait till mid-July</h2>"In terms of launch opportunities, we have opportunities all the way to June 30th," Dana Weigel, Manager, International Space Station Programme, NASA, had said earlier this month. Typically, every rocket launch mission has a launch window/launch opportunity- an ideal period of a few days or weeks within which the launch can take place. On each of these specific days within the launch window, there are a few minutes when the rocket can blast off into space. All of these launch times are precisely planned down to the second, based on various technical parameters. Which is why many rocket launch missions happen at odd hours, and no two missions (even of the same type) follow the same launch time or schedule. In case SpaceX and Axiom Space are unable to launch in the month of June, there are opportunities from mid-July, she added.<h2>About Axiom-4 and its astronauts</h2>Axiom-4 would carry a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station, where they would stay for two weeks and perform 60 experiments. The astronauts would be flying on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon capsule. Peggy Whitson, America's senior-most astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the Axiom-4 mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot or second-in-command. The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Apart from Peggy, all those aboard this mission are first-time astronauts. Therefore, the impact of these delays on the first-time astronauts' families must also be factored in.This Axiom-4 mission will facilitate the return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, given that each nation’s first and only government-sponsored spaceflight had taken place more than 40 years ago.Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be the first Indian to fly to the International Space Station, and the second Indian to fly to space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew on a Soviet Mission in 1984. The Indian Government has paid almost $64mn (₹550cr) for Shukla's training and spaceflight as part of Axiom-4. As he circles the earth, Shukla will also be performing experiments in STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math), and these will be made available as recorded educational videos, as part of the Axiom-4 mission outreach activity.&nbsp;

While a few delegates led by the ISRO Chief have returned, Indian astronauts Group Captain Shukla (primary astronaut) and Group Captain PB Nair (backup candidate) continue to carry out their respective duties in the US as part of the Axiom-4 mission

Amid endless delays and uncertainty over the American Axiom-4 human spaceflight mission launch, few members of the Indian delegation that had travelled to the US for this landmark event have returned to India. ISRO Chief Dr. V. Narayanan confirmed to WION's Sidharth M.P. about having returned to India along with a handful of top delegates from ISRO. In the first week of June, WION had reported about the 18-member Indian delegation that had travelled to Florida ahead of the Axiom-4 launch that will see India's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla fly to space, and make history as the second Indian to undertake human spaceflight. While a few delegates led by the ISRO Chief have returned, Indian astronauts Group Captain Shukla (primary astronaut) and Group Captain PB Nair (backup candidate) continue to carry out their respective duties in the US as part of the Axiom-4 mission. The duo have been in the US since August 2024 for their human spaceflight training as part of the Axiom-4 mission. Remaining members of the Indian delegation continue to stay in Florida, USA, in anticipation of the launch. Axiom-4 and the series of endless delays The Axiom-4 mission carrying four astronauts was scheduled for liftoff on May 29th 2025, but repeated delays have pushed the launch well into the last week of June. The concerned American entities (Axiom, SpaceX, NASA) have not revealed a new targeted launch date yet. Typically, launch dates are revealed at least four or five days ahead. Originally targeted for a May 29th launch, it was pushed to June 8th, June 9th, June 10th, June 11th, June 19th, and June 22nd. Notably, June 22nd was the 7th launch date for this mission, and it turns out it is not even "7th time lucky" for Axiom-4 and its crew. So far, this mission has been delayed owing to- the replacement of parts on the SpaceX Crew Dragon Spacecraft, technical issues with a Falcon 9 rocket engine, unfavourable weather, a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon 9 rocket, and an anomaly in the Russian Zvezda module on the International Space Station. Axiom-4 crew nears one-month in quarantine The Axiom-4 crew went into pre-launch mandatory quarantine on 26th May and remains in isolation. Pre-launch quarantine is followed to closely monitor the astronauts' health to avoid exposure to any last-minute illness. Quarantine is also important to ensure that the astronauts flying to the space station don't carry any infection to the closed environment of the orbiting lab. With the launch date now uncertain, it seems that the crew would end up spending a month or more in quarantine. Typical pre-launch quarantines for the International Space Station crew last two weeks. The Axiom-4 crew will end up spending double that period in quarantine. In mid-2024, Boeing Starliner astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore also had to spend about a month in quarantine due to repeated delays with their launch. In preparation for spaceflight, astronauts have to maintain peak mental and physical health. A mission delay would mean that they must sustain that peak for a longer period of time. How mission delays affect the science experiments by astronauts India's Shukla will be carrying seven experiments with him to the microgravity environment of the International Space Station. Some of the experiments involve biological material (seeds, bacteria, muscle cells), which are time-sensitive. Ideally, had the launch happened on 8th June, the astronauts would have completed their mission and returned to Earth by this week. However, with the sensitive experiments languishing on Earth for over three weeks, they too require replacement/specific care to be maintained in pristine condition. Questions remain over how the endless mission delay could affect the quality of the science experiments that will be conducted by the Axiom-4 crew in space. Axiom-4 must launch this week or wait till mid-July "In terms of launch opportunities, we have opportunities all the way to June 30th," Dana Weigel, Manager, International Space Station Programme, NASA, had said earlier this month. Typically, every rocket launch mission has a launch window/launch opportunity- an ideal period of a few days or weeks within which the launch can take place. On each of these specific days within the launch window, there are a few minutes when the rocket can blast off into space. All of these launch times are precisely planned down to the second, based on various technical parameters. Which is why many rocket launch missions happen at odd hours, and no two missions (even of the same type) follow the same launch time or schedule. In case SpaceX and Axiom Space are unable to launch in the month of June, there are opportunities from mid-July, she added. About Axiom-4 and its astronauts Axiom-4 would carry a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station, where they would stay for two weeks and perform 60 experiments. The astronauts would be flying on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon capsule. Peggy Whitson, America's senior-most astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the Axiom-4 mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot or second-in-command. The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Apart from Peggy, all those aboard this mission are first-time astronauts. Therefore, the impact of these delays on the first-time astronauts' families must also be factored in. This Axiom-4 mission will facilitate the return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, given that each nation’s first and only government-sponsored spaceflight had taken place more than 40 years ago. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be the first Indian to fly to the International Space Station, and the second Indian to fly to space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew on a Soviet Mission in 1984. The Indian Government has paid almost $64mn (₹550cr) for Shukla's training and spaceflight as part of Axiom-4. As he circles the earth, Shukla will also be performing experiments in STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math), and these will be made available as recorded educational videos, as part of the Axiom-4 mission outreach activity.

While a few delegates led by the ISRO Chief have returned, Indian astronauts Group Captain Shukla (primary astronaut) and Group Captain PB Nair (backup candidate) continue to carry out their respective duties in the US as part of the Axiom-4 mission

Axiom-4 launch delay: Top ISRO officials back in India; Astronauts remain in Florida

The Indian Government aerospace firm Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL) will soon be completely building, marketing, and launching the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle(SSLV rocket) developed by the Indian Government Space Agency ISRO. Indian Government officials said, this would mean that the SSLV rocket is going to be HAL's property, they can launch it to ferry customers' satellites and demand a price for providing the launch services.Typically, all Indian spacefaring rockets are developed by and belong to the Indian Space Research Organization. ISRO sources rocket components from Indian and foreign vendors, assembles the rocket and launches it. Henceforth, HAL will follow the same process for the SSLV.HAL was finally selected from a list of nine bidders, considering that theirs was the highest techno-commercial bid to secure the Technology Transfer of the SSLV rocket. HAL is also the firm that builds the Indian homegrown fighter jet Tejas, and various other fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft of its own and under licensed production.The SSLV is the Indian Government's latest and smallest spacefaring rocket. ISRO says, the SSLV can carry satellites weighing up to 500kg to orbits 500 km above the earth's surface. SSLV made its debut launch in August 2022, which was a failure. Thereafter, it did two flights - in February 2023 and August 2024, both successes. All three flights so far have been developmental flights. Developmental flights are more like flight tests of the rocket, its crucial components and sub-systems. Once they demonstrate their reliability in developmental flights, the rocket is flown on more routine/operational missions.The agreement for the technology transfer of SSLV is to be signed between HAL, ISRO's commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO, and the Government's Space promotion agency IN-SPACE. According to the Government, the agreement encompasses extensive training and handholding of HAL personnel by ISRO teams, both at ISRO and HAL facilities, for the building and launching of two SSLVs in the next two years. Officials said HAL's bid was for Rs.511cr (approx $59mn), and this sum would be paid in a phased manner.Radhakrishnan Durairaj, CMD, NSIL, said, "We are pleased to be part of this SSLV technology transfer process that would enable HAL to develop this launch vehicle that would cater to launch on-demand needs of global small satellite customer needs. This collaboration marks a significant step towards strengthening India’s commercial satellite launch capabilities and more specifically in enabling Indian industry in realising this SSLV.”Queried about the long delays in rolling out India's Tejas fighter jets and whether HAL's ability to deliver in the rocketry domain, top officials from HAL's Aerospace division outlined that the capability for space manufacturing is different from that of fighter planes. They added that a different manufacturing capacity exists for the space programme and for the fighter jet programme.Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACE, said, after the first to HAL-made SSLV launches supported by ISRO, HAL is free to change the design of the rocket, source its components from vendors of its choice, market it and launch it. He added that the SSLV technology transfer marks a pivotal moment in India’s space sector, as this is one of the first instances of a space agency transferring entire rocket technology to a company.Asked about who/which entity will absorb the liability in case of a rocket catastrophe, Goenka mentioned that the launching nation bears the responsibility, affirming that it rests with the Government of India. He added that the Government of India would decide how much liability would be borne by itself, and how much would be borne by the owner of the rocket. Referring to the instance of a private firm Skyroot launching a small rocket, Goenka said that the launching firm was asked to take a launch liability insurance.Indian firms L&amp;T and HAL have also undertaken a contract to build and launch 5 PSLV rockets, that originally belong to ISRO. According to officials, the first such industry-built PSLV rocket, designated at "PSLV N1" is to be launched towards the end of 2025.&nbsp; &nbsp;

ISRO sources rocket components from Indian and foreign vendors assembles the rocket and launches it. Henceforth, HAL will follow the same process for the SSLV.

The Indian Government aerospace firm Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL) will soon be completely building, marketing, and launching the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle(SSLV rocket) developed by the Indian Government Space Agency ISRO. Indian Government officials said, this would mean that the SSLV rocket is going to be HAL's property, they can launch it to ferry customers' satellites and demand a price for providing the launch services. Typically, all Indian spacefaring rockets are developed by and belong to the Indian Space Research Organization. ISRO sources rocket components from Indian and foreign vendors, assembles the rocket and launches it. Henceforth, HAL will follow the same process for the SSLV. HAL was finally selected from a list of nine bidders, considering that theirs was the highest techno-commercial bid to secure the Technology Transfer of the SSLV rocket. HAL is also the firm that builds the Indian homegrown fighter jet Tejas, and various other fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft of its own and under licensed production. The SSLV is the Indian Government's latest and smallest spacefaring rocket. ISRO says, the SSLV can carry satellites weighing up to 500kg to orbits 500 km above the earth's surface. SSLV made its debut launch in August 2022, which was a failure. Thereafter, it did two flights - in February 2023 and August 2024, both successes. All three flights so far have been developmental flights. Developmental flights are more like flight tests of the rocket, its crucial components and sub-systems. Once they demonstrate their reliability in developmental flights, the rocket is flown on more routine/operational missions. The agreement for the technology transfer of SSLV is to be signed between HAL, ISRO's commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO, and the Government's Space promotion agency IN-SPACE. According to the Government, the agreement encompasses extensive training and handholding of HAL personnel by ISRO teams, both at ISRO and HAL facilities, for the building and launching of two SSLVs in the next two years. Officials said HAL's bid was for Rs.511cr (approx $59mn), and this sum would be paid in a phased manner. Radhakrishnan Durairaj, CMD, NSIL, said, "We are pleased to be part of this SSLV technology transfer process that would enable HAL to develop this launch vehicle that would cater to launch on-demand needs of global small satellite customer needs. This collaboration marks a significant step towards strengthening India’s commercial satellite launch capabilities and more specifically in enabling Indian industry in realising this SSLV.” Queried about the long delays in rolling out India's Tejas fighter jets and whether HAL's ability to deliver in the rocketry domain, top officials from HAL's Aerospace division outlined that the capability for space manufacturing is different from that of fighter planes. They added that a different manufacturing capacity exists for the space programme and for the fighter jet programme. Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACE, said, after the first to HAL-made SSLV launches supported by ISRO, HAL is free to change the design of the rocket, source its components from vendors of its choice, market it and launch it. He added that the SSLV technology transfer marks a pivotal moment in India’s space sector, as this is one of the first instances of a space agency transferring entire rocket technology to a company. Asked about who/which entity will absorb the liability in case of a rocket catastrophe, Goenka mentioned that the launching nation bears the responsibility, affirming that it rests with the Government of India. He added that the Government of India would decide how much liability would be borne by itself, and how much would be borne by the owner of the rocket. Referring to the instance of a private firm Skyroot launching a small rocket, Goenka said that the launching firm was asked to take a launch liability insurance. Indian firms L&T and HAL have also undertaken a contract to build and launch 5 PSLV rockets, that originally belong to ISRO. According to officials, the first such industry-built PSLV rocket, designated at "PSLV N1" is to be launched towards the end of 2025.

ISRO sources rocket components from Indian and foreign vendors, assembles the rocket and launches it. Henceforth, HAL will follow the same process for the SSLV.

Indian government firm HAL to own, build and launch ISRO's SSLV rocket

The repeated launch delays involving Axiom-4 astronauts and the uncertainty surrounding the mission have revived memories of Boeing's Starliner mission last year. In 2024, Boeing's Starliner was scheduled to liftoff in early May, but technical issues kept delaying the launch until the first week of June. Further, the 8-week mission dragging on for over 8-months tarnished Boeing's reputation. Likewise, the American Axiom-4 mission was scheduled for liftoff on May 29th 2025, but repeated delays have pushed the launch well beyond June 22nd, Sunday. The concerned entities have not revealed a new targeted launch date.&nbsp;The launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Crew Dragon capsule was scheduled to take place Sunday, 22nd June, from NASA's Launch complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Centre, Florida. The mission will carry four astronauts, including India's Shubhanshu Shukla, to the International Space Station for a two-week-long mission. While the Falcon 9- Crew Dragon pair have a great track record in executing their missions safely, the ongoing delays have turned out to be seemingly unprecedented.&nbsp;In the case of the Boeing Starliner launched by the ULA Atlas V rocket, it was the maiden astronaut-carrying flight of the Starliner craft and the maiden astronaut-carrying mission of the Atlas V rocket. Therefore, it was an experimental mission for both the Atlas V rocket and the Starliner spacecraft, which means that some issues were expected. Usually, maiden flights of any new space transportation system are a tense affair for the executing agency/company and offer a real-world test of the system. In contrast, for Axiom Space, the Axiom-4 mission is their fourth mission involving astronauts. Also, the SpaceX Falcon 9-Crew Dragon pair have a great track record in executing over a dozen human spaceflight missions safely, which is why the ongoing delays have turned out to be seemingly unprecedented. Notably, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has done over 490 launches, with an incredible overall success rate of over 99.5 per cent."NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX continue reviewing launch opportunities for Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station. NASA has made the decision to stand down from a launch on Sunday, June 22, and will target a new launch date in the coming days," read a post from the US space agency NASA.&nbsp;NASA highlighted the need for additional time to continue evaluating International Space Station operations after recent repair work in the aft (back) most segment of the orbital laboratory’s Russian Zvezda service module. Because of the space station’s interconnected and interdependent systems, NASA wants to ensure the station is ready for additional crew members, and the agency is taking the time necessary to review data, it said.&nbsp;Axiom-4 launch was originally targeted for May 29th, it was pushed to June 8th, June 9th, June 10th, June 11th, June 19th, June 22nd. Notably, June 22nd was the 7th launch date for this mission, and it turns out it is not even "7th time lucky" for Axiom-4 and its crew.&nbsp;So far, this mission has been delayed owing to- the replacement of parts on the SpaceX Crew Dragon Spacecraft, technical issues with a Falcon 9 rocket engine, unfavourable weather, a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon 9 rocket, and an anomaly in the Russian Zvezda module on the International Space Station.<h2>Axiom-4 crew nears one month in quarantine</h2>The Axiom-4 crew went into pre-launch mandatory quarantine on 26th May and continues to remain in isolation. Pre-launch quarantine is followed to closely monitor the astronauts' health, to avoid exposure to any last-minute illness. Quarantine is also important to ensure that the astronauts flying to the space station don't carry any infection to the closed environment of the orbiting lab. With the launch date now uncertain, it seems that the crew would end up spending a month or more in quarantineTypical pre-launch quarantines for the International Space Station crew last two weeks. The Axiom-4 crew will end up spending double that period in quarantine. In mid-2024, Boeing Starliner astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore also had to spend about a month in quarantine due to repeated delays with their launch. &nbsp;<h2>Opportunities for launch till June 30th or from mid-July&nbsp;</h2>"In terms of launch opportunities, we have opportunities all the way to June 30th," Dana Weigel, Manager, International Space Station Programme, NASA, had said earlier this month. Typically, every rocket launch mission has a launch window/launch opportunity- an ideal period of a few days or weeks within which the launch can take place. On each of these specific days within the launch window, there are a few minutes when the rocket can blastoff to space. All of these launch times are precisely planned down to the second, based on various technical parameters. Which is why many rocket launch missions happen at odd hours, and no two missions (even of the same type) follow the same launch time or schedule. In case SpaceX and Axiom Space are unable to launch in the month of June, there are opportunities from mid-July, she added.In preparation for spaceflight, astronauts have to maintain peak mental and physical health. A mission delay would mean that they must sustain that peak for a longer period of time.&nbsp;<h2>About Axiom-4 and its astronauts&nbsp;</h2>Axiom-4 will carry a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station, where they would stay for two weeks and perform 60 experiments. The astronauts would be flying on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon capsule. Peggy Whitson, America's senior most astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the Axiom-4 mission. while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot or second-in-command. The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Apart from Peggy, all those aboard this mission are first-time astronauts. Therefore, the impact of these delays on the first-timers astronauts' families must also be factored in.This Axiom-4 mission will facilitate the return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, given that each nation’s first and only government-sponsored spaceflight had taken place more than 40 years ago.&nbsp;Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be the first Indian to fly to the International Space Station, and the second Indian to fly to space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew on a Soviet Mission in 1984. The Indian Government has paid almost $64mn (Rs.550cr) for Shukla's training and spaceflight as part of Axiom-4. As he circles the earth, Shukla will also be performing experiments in STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math), and these will be made available as recorded educational videos, as part of the Axiom-4 mission outreach activity.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In 2024, Boeing's Starliner was scheduled to liftoff in early May, but technical issues kept delaying the launch until the first week of June. Likewise, the Axiom-4 mission was scheduled for liftoff on May 29th 2025, but repeated delays have pushed the launch well beyond June 22nd. 

The repeated launch delays involving Axiom-4 astronauts and the uncertainty surrounding the mission have revived memories of Boeing's Starliner mission last year. In 2024, Boeing's Starliner was scheduled to liftoff in early May, but technical issues kept delaying the launch until the first week of June. Further, the 8-week mission dragging on for over 8-months tarnished Boeing's reputation. Likewise, the American Axiom-4 mission was scheduled for liftoff on May 29th 2025, but repeated delays have pushed the launch well beyond June 22nd, Sunday. The concerned entities have not revealed a new targeted launch date. The launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Crew Dragon capsule was scheduled to take place Sunday, 22nd June, from NASA's Launch complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Centre, Florida. The mission will carry four astronauts, including India's Shubhanshu Shukla, to the International Space Station for a two-week-long mission. While the Falcon 9- Crew Dragon pair have a great track record in executing their missions safely, the ongoing delays have turned out to be seemingly unprecedented. In the case of the Boeing Starliner launched by the ULA Atlas V rocket, it was the maiden astronaut-carrying flight of the Starliner craft and the maiden astronaut-carrying mission of the Atlas V rocket. Therefore, it was an experimental mission for both the Atlas V rocket and the Starliner spacecraft, which means that some issues were expected. Usually, maiden flights of any new space transportation system are a tense affair for the executing agency/company and offer a real-world test of the system. In contrast, for Axiom Space, the Axiom-4 mission is their fourth mission involving astronauts. Also, the SpaceX Falcon 9-Crew Dragon pair have a great track record in executing over a dozen human spaceflight missions safely, which is why the ongoing delays have turned out to be seemingly unprecedented. Notably, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has done over 490 launches, with an incredible overall success rate of over 99.5 per cent. "NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX continue reviewing launch opportunities for Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station. NASA has made the decision to stand down from a launch on Sunday, June 22, and will target a new launch date in the coming days," read a post from the US space agency NASA. NASA highlighted the need for additional time to continue evaluating International Space Station operations after recent repair work in the aft (back) most segment of the orbital laboratory’s Russian Zvezda service module. Because of the space station’s interconnected and interdependent systems, NASA wants to ensure the station is ready for additional crew members, and the agency is taking the time necessary to review data, it said. Axiom-4 launch was originally targeted for May 29th, it was pushed to June 8th, June 9th, June 10th, June 11th, June 19th, June 22nd. Notably, June 22nd was the 7th launch date for this mission, and it turns out it is not even "7th time lucky" for Axiom-4 and its crew. So far, this mission has been delayed owing to- the replacement of parts on the SpaceX Crew Dragon Spacecraft, technical issues with a Falcon 9 rocket engine, unfavourable weather, a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon 9 rocket, and an anomaly in the Russian Zvezda module on the International Space Station. Axiom-4 crew nears one month in quarantine The Axiom-4 crew went into pre-launch mandatory quarantine on 26th May and continues to remain in isolation. Pre-launch quarantine is followed to closely monitor the astronauts' health, to avoid exposure to any last-minute illness. Quarantine is also important to ensure that the astronauts flying to the space station don't carry any infection to the closed environment of the orbiting lab. With the launch date now uncertain, it seems that the crew would end up spending a month or more in quarantine Typical pre-launch quarantines for the International Space Station crew last two weeks. The Axiom-4 crew will end up spending double that period in quarantine. In mid-2024, Boeing Starliner astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore also had to spend about a month in quarantine due to repeated delays with their launch. Opportunities for launch till June 30th or from mid-July "In terms of launch opportunities, we have opportunities all the way to June 30th," Dana Weigel, Manager, International Space Station Programme, NASA, had said earlier this month. Typically, every rocket launch mission has a launch window/launch opportunity- an ideal period of a few days or weeks within which the launch can take place. On each of these specific days within the launch window, there are a few minutes when the rocket can blastoff to space. All of these launch times are precisely planned down to the second, based on various technical parameters. Which is why many rocket launch missions happen at odd hours, and no two missions (even of the same type) follow the same launch time or schedule. In case SpaceX and Axiom Space are unable to launch in the month of June, there are opportunities from mid-July, she added. In preparation for spaceflight, astronauts have to maintain peak mental and physical health. A mission delay would mean that they must sustain that peak for a longer period of time. About Axiom-4 and its astronauts Axiom-4 will carry a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station, where they would stay for two weeks and perform 60 experiments. The astronauts would be flying on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon capsule. Peggy Whitson, America's senior most astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the Axiom-4 mission. while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot or second-in-command. The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Apart from Peggy, all those aboard this mission are first-time astronauts. Therefore, the impact of these delays on the first-timers astronauts' families must also be factored in. This Axiom-4 mission will facilitate the return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, given that each nation’s first and only government-sponsored spaceflight had taken place more than 40 years ago. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be the first Indian to fly to the International Space Station, and the second Indian to fly to space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew on a Soviet Mission in 1984. The Indian Government has paid almost $64mn (Rs.550cr) for Shukla's training and spaceflight as part of Axiom-4. As he circles the earth, Shukla will also be performing experiments in STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math), and these will be made available as recorded educational videos, as part of the Axiom-4 mission outreach activity.

In 2024, Boeing's Starliner was scheduled to liftoff in early May, but technical issues kept delaying the launch until the first week of June. Likewise, the Axiom-4 mission was scheduled for liftoff on May 29th 2025, but repeated delays have pushed the launch well beyond June 22nd.&nbsp;

Axiom-4 launch delayed indefinitely; revives memories of Boeing Starliner delays

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