
India’s first Gaganyatri, Shubhanshu Shukla, presently aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as a part of the Axiom-4 mission, spoke to ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan on the afternoon of July 6, 2025. During the telephonic dialog, Shukla thanked the Indian house company for enabling his secure and profitable journey to house, saying, “Salute to team ISRO.” The name coated key updates on the scientific experiments being carried out on the ISS, in addition to Shukla’s well-being in microgravity. The ISRO Chairman emphasised the want to meticulously doc all actions post-mission, as the insights would play a significant function in shaping India’s Gaganyaan program, which goals to launch Indian astronauts into low Earth orbit utilizing indigenous capabilities.
ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan counseled Shubhanshu Shukla’s efforts and emphasised the mission’s strategic worth. He highlighted how the data and expertise gained aboard the ISS would immediately inform the improvement and execution of Gaganyaan, India’s first indigenous crewed house mission. The Chairman additionally inspired detailed documentation of all experiments, observations, and challenges to function crucial enter for ISRO’s ongoing human spaceflight initiatives.
Several senior officers from ISRO participated in the name, together with Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair, Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and Chairman of the Program Management Council for the Human Space Programme; Shri M. Mohan, Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC); Shri Padmakumar E.S., Director of ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU); Shri M. Ganesh Pillai, Scientific Secretary of ISRO; and Shri N. Vedachalam, former Director of LPSC. They mentioned the scope and standing of the scientific experiments being carried out aboard the ISS and expressed their admiration for Shukla’s dedication and professionalism.
During the interplay, Shubhanshu Shukla expressed deep gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ISRO for offering him the alternative to characterize India on the international stage. He shared updates on the scientific experiments and challenges of working in house, whereas acknowledging the tireless efforts of the ISRO team in making ready him for the mission. The Chairman assured him of the company’s unwavering assist and recalled common pre-mission conferences the place he guided and motivated Shukla personally.The Chairman additionally interacted repeatedly with Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, the designated standby astronaut for the Axiom-4 mission. His involvement ensured strong mission preparedness and contingency planning. The collaboration between ISRO and Axiom Space underneath this mission serves as a crucial milestone as India inches nearer to launching its first homegrown human spaceflight.