from-iss-russian-cosmonauts-wish-india-ahead-of-i-day

Russian cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have extended Independence Day greetings to India, holding the Indian tricolour and highlighting the long-standing partnership between the two countries in space exploration.

 

In a video message, the cosmonauts congratulated the people of India and recalled the decades of cooperation between Moscow and New Delhi, with space exploration emerging as a key pillar of the relationship.

 

Cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov wished Indians peace and prosperity as the country prepares to celebrate its 80th Independence Day. The cosmonauts also linked the occasion to another milestone in space history — 65 years since Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space.

 

Gagarin visited India in November 1961, becoming an early symbol of the growing friendship between India and the Soviet Union. The cosmonauts recalled his admiration for India and its people.

Also read: Jharkhand protest: Students break barricades, face water cannons

 

India-Russia space cooperation dates back to 1975, when the Soviet Union launched Aryabhata, India's first satellite. The partnership reached another landmark in 1984, when Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to travel into space aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 spacecraft.

 

Cosmonaut Anna Kikina highlighted the next phase of cooperation through India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme. Indian astronauts, or Gaganyatris, have undergone training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia as part of preparations for India's first crewed space mission.

 

The message also featured a joint competition organised by Roscosmos, its India office and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to mark the countries' space cooperation. Winning entries were displayed alongside the Independence Day greetings.

 

"Long live India-Russia friendship," cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev said while holding the Indian flag aboard the space station.

 

The message comes as India and Russia continue to deepen cooperation in human spaceflight and other areas of space exploration.