New Delhi, June 10 -- With Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla set to become the second Indian to travel to space, Air Commodore Ravish Malhotra (retd), who was closely associated with the 1984 Indo-Soviet space mission and trained as an astronaut, has said that the upcoming launch is a crucial milestone in the journey for India's ambitious Gaganyaan mission.

Air Commodore Ravish Malhotra, who was selected along with Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma for India's first space mission and was his backup, told ANI in an interview that Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla's journey to the International Space Station (ISS) inspires 1.4 billion Indians.

Gaganyaan, India's first human spaceflight mission, is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2027.

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