Air Chief Marshal AP Singh felicitates NCC cadets who scaled Mt Everest

New Delhi [India], June 10 (ANI): Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, on Tuesday felicitated NCC cadets who successfully summited Mt Everest as part of the NCC's third Everest Expedition.
According to the Indian Air Force (IAF), ten cadets -- five boys and five girls -- reached the summit of Mt Everest on May 18.
In a post on X, the IAF stated, 'Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, met and felicitated NCC cadets who successfully summited Mt Everest on 18 May 2025, as part of NCC's third Everest Expedition. Flagged off by Hon'ble Raksha Mantri on 03 April 2025, the success of this expedition represents courage, resilience, and the adventurous spirit of India's youth. Ten cadets -- five boys and five girls, all novice climbers, trained rigorously to achieve a 100% summit success rate, earning praise from Sherpas and international climbers alike.'
Earlier in the day, Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh interacted via video conference with Group Captain Shubahanshu Shukla, who is set to embark on the Axiom-4 space mission, an official statement from the Indian Air Force (IAF) said.
Air Chief Marshal Singh extended wishes to Group Captain Shukla, who will be India's second astronaut to go to space since 1984.
In a post on X, the IAF said, 'As Group Captain Shubahanshu Shukla prepares to embark on the Axiom-4 space mission tomorrow, Chief of the Air Staff and all Air Warriors of IAF wish him and the entire crew of Axiom-4 all the best for a safe and successful trip to the International Space Station. This will add a new chapter to the Indian Space Odyssey.'
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is part of Axiom Space's fourth private astronaut mission (Ax-4), marking a historic moment for India's space collaboration with NASA. (ANI)

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

New Indian Express

2 hours ago

• New Indian Express

Axiom-4 put off again, ISRO decides to recall Group Captains Shukla, Nair

BENGALURU: Two days before the scheduled launch of the much-awaited Axiom-4 (Ax-4) Space Mission on June 22, Axiom Space on Friday announced its indefinite postponement. Axiom Space, which is spearheading the 14-day Ax-4 Space Mission to the International Space Station (ISS) with four astronauts from the US, India, Poland and Hungary, has not given the next launch date. Following this, the Indian Space Research Organisation decided to recall Ax-4 mission pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and reserve crew member Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair. 'NASA has made the decision to stand down from a launch on Sunday, June 22, and will target a new launch date in the coming days. The space agency (NASA) needs additional time to continue evaluating International Space Station operations after recent repair work in the aft (back) most segment of the orbital laboratory's Zvezda service module. Because of the space station's interconnected and interdependent systems, NASA wants to ensure the station is ready for additional crew members, and the agency is taking the time necessary to review the data,' an Axiom Space statement read. The $64 million space mission is a multi-agency collaboration, involving Axiom Space, ISRO, NASA and European Space Agency (ESA). 'The (Indian) astronauts will be returning. There are many technical issues that need to be addressed before the mission is launched,' said a senior ISRO scientist. Shukla and Nair are among the four Indian astronauts selected for India's first manned space mission, Gaganyaan, scheduled to be launched some time in 2027. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said the Ax-4 mission delays will have no impact on the Gaganyaan mission, which, he said, is progressing as per schedule.

NDTV

13 hours ago

• NDTV

International Day Of Yoga 2025: When India's Gift To The World Went To Space

New Delhi: Indian and Indian-origin astronauts have always shown their admiration for yoga as a core component of keeping themselves physically fit and mentally strong. The International Day of Yoga will be celebrated on Saturday. Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma (retired), the first Indian to fly to space over 40 years ago, used a special harness to do 'asanas' (yoga positions) amid the challenges posed by the absence of gravity. He then compared the results of his yoga routine in space with the training regimen followed by Russian cosmonauts who were on the mission with him. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot and astronaut who is set to make history by becoming the second Indian to fly to space, has also been described as a big fan and practitioner of yoga by his mission commander Dr Peggy Whitson. "He is a fitness-freak and highly into yoga, so I am sure he will balance it," Dr Peggy said in an interaction with the press recently. Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams incorporated yoga into her fitness on board the International Space Station (ISS) when she was stranded there for nine months. In April 2024, Wing Commander Sharma told NDTV that the yoga experiment was included in the mission brief of the Soyuz T-11, the sixth expedition to the Soviet Salyut 7 space station which launched on April 3, 1984, because all space-faring countries were looking for methods to avoid space sickness. "And there were various preparation methods... the one which the West followed and the one which the Soviet Union followed at that time. So here was an attempt to find out if the yogic method of preparing space travellers to withstand the rigours of space would offer a different, viable alternative. Both Ravish sir (Ravish Malhotra, his backup on the mission) and I did yoga about three to four months before the launch," he had told NDTV. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said yoga is India's gift to the world. The International Day of Yoga is a celebration of the journey of a tradition that transcends borders. According to government data, global participation on the International Day of Yoga increased from 9.59 crore people in 2018 to 24.53 crore people in 2024. Record-breaking events include entering into the Guinness World Record at the UN with 135 nationalities in 2023, and multiple records including 25.93 lakh online pledges in Uttar Pradesh in 2024. On global campaigns, yoga was performed at iconic sites like Eiffel Tower, Dead Sea, and Mount Everest base camp in 2022. The Ocean Ring of Yoga was achieved in 2023. The theme for this year's International Day of Yoga is 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health'. Over one lakh locations will host mass yoga events, with the main event scheduled in Visakhapatnam.

Time of India

17 hours ago

• Time of India

Evening news wrap: Israel carries out massive overnight airstrikes in Iran by deploying 60 fighter jets; Ax‑4 mission delayed again, no new launch date announced; & more

photo/agencies Today's top 5 news developments include the latest developments between Iran and Israel as tensions escalates in the middle east, the delay of the Ax-4 mission and Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's recent rally in Bihar. The tensions in the middle-east are continuously rising. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Friday conducted extensive overnight strikes on numerous military targets within Iran. The axiom 4 mission set to carry India's group captain Shubhanshu Shukla and three other members to space has been delayed again. PM Narendra Modi visited Bihar's Siwan and inaugurated multiple development projects. He even addressed the public. Israel carries out massive overnight airstrikes in Iran by deploying 60 fighter jets In a highly coordinated operation on the night of June 20, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a sweeping airstrike campaign using around 60 fighter jets to strike strategic military and nuclear-related sites across Iran. The planned offensive specifically hit the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), a facility believed to be pivotal in Iran's nuclear weapons development. Read full story Ax‑4 mission delayed again, no new launch date announced The Axiom‑4 mission set to carry India's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and crew from Poland and Hungary to the ISS has been postponed once more. The launch was postponed so NASA, Axiom Space and SpaceX can further inspect and ensure the readiness of the ISS following repairs on its Zvezda service module. Flight teams say the crew remains in quarantine in Florida and is prepared to launch, with hopes to still meet the late‑June window which runs until June 30 but no fix date has been confirmed. Read full story PM Modi flags off Vande Bharat express, launches ₹9,500 crore projects in Bihar Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Siwan, Bihar, on June 20 where he launched development projects worth over ₹9,500 crore. These included sewage treatment works under Namami Gange, rural water supply projects, solar energy and power storage facilities, and housing schemes. He also flagged off a new Vande Bharat Express between Patliputra and Gorakhpur and unveiled India's first export-bound locomotive. Read full story Air India fare drops after Boeing 787 crash Air India has slashed fares by up to 24% on both domestic and international routes following the June 12 crash of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Travel platform ixigo data shows major declines in fare prices. Air India is inspecting its entire fleet of 33 Dreamliner aircraft, following a directive from the civil aviation regulator. Read full story India and England cricketers pay tribute to Ahmedabad Air crash victims During the first Test between India and England, both teams observed a minute's silence and wore black armbands to honor those who died in the recent Ahmedabad air crash. The tribute took place before the start of the match, showing solidarity with the victims and their families. Indian vice-captain Rishabh Pant said the team hopes to bring some happiness to the nation through their performance. Read full story