Group Captains Shubhanshu Shukla, Prasanth Nair selected for Indo-US mission to Space Station: ISRO
Bengaluru, Aug 2: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair have been selected for an upcoming Indo-US mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Friday.
Group Captain Shukla's name has been recommended as the primary astronaut and Nair will be his backup, ISRO said. This has been done on the recommendation of the NASA-identified service provider Axiom Space Inc, sources in the ISRO told PTI.
In an official release, the ISRO said its Human Space Flight Centre has entered into a space flight agreement with US' Axiom Space Inc, for its fourth mission to the ISS and a National Mission Assignment Board has "recommended two 'gaganyatris' (astronauts) --Group Captain Shukla (prime) and Group Captain Nair (backup)".
"The assigned crewmembers will be finally approved to fly to the International Space Station by the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP). The recommended gaganyatris will commence their training for the mission from the first week of August 2024,"ISRO said.
During the mission, the 'gaganyatris' will undertake selected scientific research and technology demonstration experiments on board the ISS and engage in space outreach activities, it said.
"The experiences gained during this mission will be beneficial for the Indian Human Space Programme and it will also strengthen human space flight cooperation between ISRO and NASA," the Indian space agency said.
India and the US are collaborating to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station in 2024, American President Joe Biden said after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington last year.
Shukla and Nair are among the four astronauts, whose names were announced by Modi earlier this year for India's maiden human spaceflight mission next year. Two other pilots were Group Captain Ajit Krishnan and Group Captain Angad Pratap.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
ED attaches fresh assets in PMLA case against Reliance Group; total attachment over Rs 10K cr
New Delhi (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate has attached fresh assets worth Rs 1,120 crore as part of its money laundering probe against the companies of Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani, officials said.
Eighteen properties, including the Reliance Centre in Mumbai's Ballard Estate, fixed deposits, bank balance and shareholding in unqouted investments of Reliance Anil Ambani Group have been provisionally attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.
Another set of seven properties of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd, two properties of Reliance Power Ltd, nine properties of Reliance Value Service Private Ltd, fixed deposits in the name of Reliance Value Service Private Ltd, Reliance Venture Asset Management Private Lt, Phi Management Solutions Private Ltd, Adhar Property Consultancy Pvt Ltd, Gamesa Investment Management Private Ltd and investments made in unquoted investment by Reliance Venture Asset Management Private Ltd and Phi Management Solutions Private Ltd have also been attached, they said.
The ED had earlier attached properties worth over Rs 8,997 crore in the bank fraud cases related to Reliance Communications Ltd (RCOM), Reliance Commercial Finance Ltd, and Reliance Home Finance Ltd.
The total attachment in the case against the Reliance Group is now Rs 10,117 crore.
