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The government has proposed a special discussion in the Lok Sabha on Shubhanshu Shukla’s historic space mission
Tharoor further said Group Commander Shukla’s historic flight has captured the nation’s imagination, inspiring a new generation to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, maths and space studies. (PTI file)
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday praised astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s historic space mission, calling it a “powerful” symbol of India’s ambitions in human spaceflight.
Tharoor’s post came in response to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, as the government has proposed a special discussion in the Lok Sabha on the subject ‘India’s first astronaut aboard the International Space Station — Critical role of the space programme for Viksit Bharat by 2047’ — to mark Shukla’s space sojourn. However, the opposition has decided to skip the special debate as it continues its protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar.
Tharoor said Shukla’s mission served as a stepping stone to the nation’s human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan and added that it allowed for the testing of Indian systems and protocols in a real-life space environment.
Shukla became the second Indian to undertake a spaceflight after Rakesh Sharma. He was part of the Axiom-4 private space mission that lifted off from Florida on June 25 and docked at the International Space Station on June 26. He returned to Earth on 15 July.
Underlining India’s role in global space diplomacy, the Thiruvanthapuram MP said that Shukla’s mission demonstrates India’s willingness and capability to engage in multilateral space efforts and opens doors for future joint research and investment.
1/3 Since the Opposition are not participating in the special discussion, let me say how proud all Indians are of the recent mission of Commander Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS). It served as a stepping stone to our nation’s own human spaceflight… https://t.co/y1BWqccEg6— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 18, 2025
“Since the Opposition are not participating in the special discussion, let me say how proud all Indians are of the recent mission of Commander Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS)…. His first-hand observations on pre-launch procedures, spacecraft systems, and the psychological and physiological effects of microgravity are crucial for de-risking and refining the Gaganyaan mission,” he said in a post.
Tharoor further said Group Commander Shukla’s historic flight has captured the nation’s imagination, inspiring a new generation to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, maths and space studies.
Earlier in the day, Rijiju urged opposition parties to participate in a discussion in the Lok Sabha on Shukla’s successful mission to the International Space Station and India’s strides in the space sector.
“Our hero astronaut Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla has returned home after a successful mission to International Space Station. Parliament will honour him with a special discussion on his historic milestone and India’s growing space ambitions in our journey towards Viksit Bharat,” Rijiju said in a post on X.
Rijiju urged members to participate in the same spirit as they had during the debate on Operation Sindoor.
Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter –twitter.com/saurabhkverma19
Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter –twitter.com/saurabhkverma19
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