As India celebrates 80 years of Independence, a special message has arrived from a place few humans have ever called home. Orbiting 408 kilometres above Earth aboard the International Space Station, three Russian cosmonauts unfurled the Indian flag and extended warm wishes to the people of India, underlining a friendship that has endured on Earth and flourished in space.
Standing inside the orbiting laboratory, with the Indian flag proudly displayed, the cosmonauts congratulated India on reaching the milestone of eight decades of freedom and self-reliance. They noted that India had broken free from colonial rule and embarked on a path of progress and prosperity. The training covered a wide range of activities, including spacecraft systems, survival exercises, emergency procedures and physical conditioning. The experience helped prepare the future Indian astronauts for the challenges of human spaceflight while further strengthening institutional ties between the Indian Space Research Organisation and Russia’s space establishment. The Russian cosmonauts also referred to a recent joint competition organised by Roscosmos, a Russian foundation and the Indian Space Research Organisation. The competition celebrated the spirit of India-Russia cooperation in space and encouraged young minds to imagine the future of exploration.
