After the Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla made headlines for being one of the four astronauts chosen for the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), netizens have revealed that India purchased the ticket for its astronaut for almost $70 million.
According to reports, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has paid almost $70 million or Rs599 crore for a seat on Axiom-4 that allowed its astronaut to be allowed on this trip.
It merits a mention that this recent mission is the second time in history when an Indian-origin expert has made a human spaceflight.
Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on 3 April 1984 as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme.
Social media users have lashed out and trolled the ISRO for paying such a hefty amount to buy a space ticket for its astronaut, while approximately 234 million people are living below the poverty line.
his is the highest number of poor people among all countries, according to the UN’s Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2024. Specifically, 584 million children are significantly affected by poverty worldwide, with India having a large portion of this population.
Some users lashed out at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, arguing that he only wanted to recreate “what former prime minister Indira Gandhi did when India’s first astronaut traveled to space in 1984.”
Many users pointed out the alleged lack of logic behind spending so much for one space ticket, with one user commenting, “At the very least, they should fly their own rocket or build their own station.”
Another netizen pointed out that in India’s history, two Indians have been sent to space, and both belong to the Brahmin caste. This suggests the long-known fact that the Indian government, particularly the Modi government, is highly racist prioritising only the so-called Brahmin class.
