Shubhanshu Shukla Scripts History
In a monumental achievement for India's space program, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has become the second Indian to venture into space, following in the footsteps of Rakesh Sharma who flew aboard a Soviet mission in 1984. Shukla's journey to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) marks a significant milestone, injecting fresh momentum into the nation's ambitious space exploration endeavors.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying Shukla and his fellow Ax-4 crew members, successfully lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission, a collaboration between Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX, experienced several delays before finally commencing its journey to the ISS. Aboard the Dragon spacecraft alongside Shukla are mission commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut, as well as mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
After nearly a month of postponements, the Ax-4 crew successfully docked at the International Space Station around 4:45 PM IST. The mission pilot, Shukla, is a 39-year-old fighter pilot chosen by ISRO as the prime astronaut for this historic flight. The team will spend approximately 14 days aboard the ISS, engaging in a variety of scientific research, technology demonstrations, and outreach initiatives aimed at furthering commercial human spaceflight. Approximately 60 experiments will be conducted, encompassing studies on microalgae, the cultivation of sprouting salad seeds, and the resilience of microscopic tardigrades in the space environment.
Shukla's presence on the ISS offers India a unique opportunity to gain invaluable operational experience in crewed space missions. This is particularly crucial as India prepares for its indigenous human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan, slated for later this decade. As the pilot of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, Shukla will provide Indian space agencies with first-hand insights into docking procedures, life-support systems, and the challenges of working in microgravity conditions.
Guru Randhawa's Cryptic Posts
Meanwhile, Punjabi singer Guru Randhawa has been making headlines for a series of cryptic social media posts that have sparked speculation and debate among fans and industry insiders.
Recently, Guru Randhawa shared a cryptic post on X, seemingly addressing the ongoing controversy around Diljit Dosanjh's new movie, Sardaar Ji 3. Randhawa's veiled dig at Diljit Dosanjh included asking people to "remember where you were born." His post suggested that Dosanjh is no longer an Indian citizen, leading to mixed reactions from social media users. Some praised Randhawa for expressing his views openly, while others criticized him.
Previously, Randhawa shared a cryptic message that appeared to wade into the "Punjab vs Panjab" debate that started after Diljit Dosanjh wrote Panjab in one of his posts. Randhawa's posts urging unity and patriotism fueled speculation of a connection to the controversy.
Earlier in the year, amid reports of a rift with T-Series, Guru Randhawa hinted at potential problems with the music label and assured his fans of resolving it soon. In response to a fan's accusation that T-Series was blocking him from working independently, Randhawa wrote, "Big people faces big problems... The issue will get resolved in a few days and we will come back stronger than ever."
