Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday hailed astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s historic mission to the International Space Station (ISS), describing it as a “powerful symbol” of India’s human spaceflight ambitions and a crucial stepping stone to the upcoming Gaganyaan programme.“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 ISS. It served as a stepping stone to our nation’s own human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan,” Tharoor said in a post on X.Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had urged Opposition parties to join a special Lok Sabha discussion on Shukla’s mission and India’s space programme. However, several Opposition leaders, demanding a debate on alleged voter fraud, stayed away from the session.Tharoor underlined that Shukla’s flight had provided the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) with “invaluable hands-on experience and data that cannot be replicated in simulations,” including first-hand insights into launch procedures, spacecraft systems, and the psychological and physiological effects of microgravity. These inputs, he said, would play a critical role in “de-risking and refining” the Gaganyaan mission.
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