New Delhi [India], April 18 (ANI): The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced an International Space Mission carrying an Indian astronaut, scheduled for next month.

According to an official statement by the Department of Space, the announcement was made following a high-level meeting held to review the major future plans of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the coming month.

The Union Minister for State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh in the meeting said that the mission will mark the visit of first Indian ever to visit the International Space Station (ISS) and the first Indian astronaut to travel to Space in over four decades after Rakesh Sharma's iconic 1984 flight aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft.

ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan also informed that Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force is all prepared to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) next month as part of Axiom Space's Ax-4 mission.

The official release from the Department of Space also mentioned that Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force is all prepared to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) next month as part of Axiom Space's Ax-4 mission.

Group Captain Shukla's mission, scheduled for May 2025, marks a milestone in India's expanding international space collaborations, the release added.

'India is ready for its next space milestone,' said Dr Jitendra Singh, underscoring the significance of the upcoming human spaceflight and a series of critical ISRO missions.

He also noted that the collaboration with international partners and the strategic momentum of projects like Gaganyaan reflect India's commitment to becoming a global leader in space technology. The Minister emphasised that these efforts are not only scientific in nature but also aligned with the vision of a developed and self-reliant India.

ISRO has major missions lined up for May to July 2025, where ISRO which included the launch of PSLV-C61 mission carrying the state-of-the-art EOS-09 satellite which is equipped with a C-band synthetic aperture radar, EOS-09 will be capable of capturing high-resolution images of Earth's surface under all weather conditions, day or night, said the release.

The release also mentioned another mission, which is the Test Vehicle-D2 (TV-D2) mission, designed to simulate an abort scenario and demonstrate the Gaganyaan Crew Escape System. The mission includes sea recovery operations for the Crew Module, mimicking procedures planned for India's first human spaceflight. (ANI)