Now Reading: Russian cosmonauts wave Tricolour aboard ISS for India’s 80th I-Day
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Russian cosmonauts wave Tricolour aboard ISS for India’s 80th I-Day
Russian cosmonauts wave Tricolour aboard ISS for India’s 80th I-Day
Russian cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station have greeted India ahead of its 80th Independence Day, holding the Indian tricolour and highlighting decades of space cooperation between the two countries. Cosmonaut Pyotr…
The Story in Brief
Russian cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station have greeted India ahead of its 80th Independence Day, holding the Indian tricolour and highlighting decades of space cooperation between the two countries. Cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov wished peace and prosperity, noting India broke free from colonial rule and chose self-reliance. The message linked the occasion to 65 years since Yuri Gagarin's first spaceflight and his 1961 visit to India.
The cosmonauts recalled milestones: the Soviet Union launching India's first satellite Aryabhata in 1975, Rakesh Sharma flying on Soyuz T-11 in 1984, and the current Gaganyaan programme. Indian astronauts have trained in Russia. Cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev ended with "Long live India-Russia friendship."
The Indian Opinion
The cosmonauts' gesture is being framed as pure old friendship. But India-Russia space ties are partly a stopgap, Moscow supplies engines and training because the West restricts tech transfers to India. The real test will come with Gaganyaan: if Russia delivers the crew module life-support systems on time, the partnership is substantive. If not, this is just a nostalgia video.
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com, news.abplive.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
