ISRO chief highlights nation's growing space power at NIT convocation

ISRO Chairman and Department of Space Secretary V Narayanan, who was the chief guest during the 21st convocation of the National Institute of Technology here (NIT-T) on Saturday, hailed India's rising prominence in the global space sector.

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In his address, Narayanan recalled how Indian engineers played a key role in averting a potential disaster in the Axiom Mission 4, in which Indian astronaut Shubanshu Shukla was among the four crew members. "A leak in the booster engine's liquid oxygen system was detected on June 10, a day before the scheduled launch. The Indian team insisted on a safety review, which led to the mission being postponed just hours before lift-off. The technical flaw was later rectified and the mission successfully launched on June 25," he said.