BENGALURU: Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium (JNP) screened the livestream of Axiom 4’s return to Earth carrying pilot Shubhanshu Shukla and the rest of the crew on Tuesday.
The C V Vishveshvara Auditorium at JNP anxiously awaited Axiom 4’s splashdown, which was carrying Shukla of the ISRO. Dr B R Guruprasad, former ISRO scientist and director of JNP, who provided crucial insights alongside the crew’s descent, pointed out, “It [Shukla’s participation in the mission] has empowered Indian scientists. It is going to tremendously benefit Indian space programmes.”
Excited students from a BBMP-run school in Kamala Nagar and Government High School, Itagi, comprised the majority of the throng. Jayashri Murudeppanavar, an English teacher at Government High School, Itagi, said, “The students and I enjoyed the great opportunity to witness this landing.”
Sara, a 10-year-old, who could barely contain her glee at having witnessed the event said, “When they [the Axiom 4 crew] launched, I saw the livestream. I wanted to see how they came back to the earth. I want to become an astronaut when I grow up. I learnt a lot from Sunita Williams.”