In a gesture symbolizing decades of friendship beyond Earth’s atmosphere, Russian cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) sent greetings to the people of India as the nation prepares to celebrate its 80th Independence Day.
Holding the Indian Tricolour high in low Earth orbit, the crew delivered a video message reaffirming the enduring space partnership between Moscow and New Delhi.
Messages of Peace and Shared Progress
In the video message released from space, cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov, Anna Kikina, and Andrey Fedyaev extended warm wishes for peace, prosperity, and continued progress to the people of India.
“Dear friends, today the Republic of India is celebrating its 80th Independence Day. Eight decades ago, India broke free from colonial rule and embarked on a journey towards self-reliance and prosperity,” said Pyotr Dubrov.
Cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev concluded the orbital greeting while proudly holding the Indian national flag aloft, declaring: “Long live India-Russia friendship!”
Celebrating Dual Space Milestones
The Russian crew highlighted that this year’s Independence Day coincides with another historic moment in space exploration: 65 years since Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.
Recalling Yuri Gagarin’s historic visit to India in November 1961, the cosmonauts remembered his famous reflection:
- From Orbit: Gagarin remarked that India looked strikingly beautiful when viewed from space.
- On the Ground: Upon visiting, he remarked it was even more beautiful on Earth because it was home to “true friends.”
Decades of Space Collaboration
The orbital greeting comes as a nod to a long trajectory of joint milestones between the two space programs:
| Milestone Year | Strategic Partnership Highlight |
|---|---|
| 1975 | Soviet Union launches Aryabhata, India’s very first satellite into orbit. |
| 1984 | Rakesh Sharma becomes the first Indian astronaut in space aboard Soyuz T-11. |
| Present Era | Training of Indian Gaganyatris at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission. |
Cosmonaut Anna Kikina noted that space exploration remains one of the core pillars connecting the two nations, and that this cooperation has entered an exciting new era through ISRO’s Gaganyaan program. As part of the special celebrations, the crew also displayed winning entries from a joint space competition hosted by Roscosmos and ISRO.
