🌟 NEWS MAKER — MAY 1, 2025

Shukla to the Stars: India’s First Journey to the ISS Begins

🪷 THEME: Space Diplomacy, Science & National Pride
🏛️ CATEGORY: Space Missions, Global Collaboration, India’s Scientific Leadership

📜 INTRO WHISPER
For forty years, the stars waited. Now, they prepare to welcome another voice from India. Not just a passenger, but a pilot. Not just a symbol, but a scientist — carrying sprouts, hope, and a whisper of Earth into the stillness of space.

🔍 HIGHLIGHTS

• Historic Mission:
  Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will fly to the International Space Station (ISS) on May 29, 2025, as pilot of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) — India’s first astronaut to reach the ISS, and the first Indian in space in 40 years.
• Crew & Launch Details:
  Ax-4 will be launched aboard SpaceX Dragon from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, with Peggy Whitson as commander. ESA astronauts from Poland and Hungary join the mission for a 14-day stay on the ISS.
• Indian Science on the ISS:
  India is contributing 7 microgravity research experiments selected by ISRO, including:
  • Muscle regeneration
  • Tardigrade resilience
  • Human-computer interactions in orbit
  • Moong and Fenugreek sprouting (space-food studies)
• Cultural-Centric Innovation:
  ISRO’s focus includes India-specific food experiments, aiming to explore medicinal and nutritional potential of native foods like fenugreek in space settings.
• Global Collaboration:
  Ax-4 will include 60 scientific activities across 31 nations, marking a new phase of commercial and diplomatic space engagement with India at the forefront.

🧭 GS PAPER MAP

• GS III: Science & Technology – Space Research, Global Missions
• GS II: International Relations – India’s Role in Multilateral Space Ventures
• GS IV: Ethics – Scientific Temper, Exploration, Human Aspiration

🪔 A THOUGHT SPARK — by IAS Monk

We once reached the Moon with soil in our fingers. Now we reach the stars with moong and fenugreek in our satchels. And this time, the sky will not echo silence — it will hum with ancient seeds whispering new songs.