Ahmedabad, July 11 (IANS) Fresh from his historic mission to the International Space Station (ISS), astronaut and Ashoka Chakra awardee Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is scheduled to visit Tanmay’s ‘Amazing Space Museum – Zero Digital Space Museum’ in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

The visit is scheduled between 12 p.m. and 12.30 p.m., during which Shukla will tour several exhibits dedicated to space exploration, including a specially curated gallery bearing his name.

Museum organisers said he will also experience the International Space Station simulation and view the Indian-themed astrophilately collection along with what they describe as the world’s space currency collection, curated by space enthusiast Tanmay Vyas.

The visit comes months after Shukla emerged as one of India’s most recognised figures in human spaceflight.

An Indian Air Force Group Captain and test pilot, he became the first Indian to visit the International Space Station and only the second Indian to travel to space when he flew as the pilot of Axiom Mission 4.

The commercial mission, conducted in partnership with Axiom Space, NASA, SpaceX and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is regarded as a significant milestone for India’s human spaceflight programme and provided operational experience expected to support the country’s forthcoming Gaganyaan mission.

Shukla spent about 20 days aboard the ISS, carrying out scientific research and technology demonstrations as part of the mission.

His flight marked India’s first journey to the orbiting laboratory and the country’s first human spaceflight since Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s Soviet mission in 1984.

Earlier this year, President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, on Group Captain Shukla in recognition of his role in the landmark mission.

The award acknowledged his courage and contribution to India’s growing ambitions in human space exploration.

“Visitors will have an opportunity to see exhibits linked to Shukla’s achievements and India’s expanding role in space exploration. The dedicated Shubhanshu Shukla Gallery has been created to commemorate his journey and to showcase milestones in India’s space programme alongside international space missions,” organisers added.

Shukla, commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2006, has logged more than 2,000 flying hours on aircraft including the Su-30MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier and An-32.

He was selected in 2019 as one of ISRO’s astronaut-designates for the Gaganyaan programme before being assigned to Axiom Mission 4, a mission widely seen as providing valuable operational experience for India’s future crewed spaceflight plans.

–IANS

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