From Space With Friendship: Russian Cosmonauts Salute India On Its 80th Independence Day

Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov, Anna Kikina and Andrey Fedyaev recorded a heartfelt video message to mark India's Independence Day, recalling the long and remarkable history of cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow.

14 Aug 2026, 12:34 · NDTV

New Delhi:

As India celebrates 80 years of Independence, a special message has arrived from a place few humans have ever called home. Orbiting 408 kilometres above Earth aboard the International Space Station, three Russian cosmonauts unfurled the Indian flag and extended warm wishes to the people of India, underlining a friendship that has endured on Earth and flourished in space.

Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov, Anna Kikina and Andrey Fedyaev recorded a heartfelt video message to mark India's Independence Day, recalling the long and remarkable history of cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow. Their tribute was more than a ceremonial greeting. It was a reminder of a partnership that has helped shape India's journey into space, from its earliest satellite launches to its upcoming human spaceflight mission.

Standing inside the orbiting laboratory, with the Indian flag proudly displayed, the cosmonauts congratulated India on reaching the milestone of eight decades of freedom and self-reliance. They noted that India had broken free from colonial rule and embarked on a path of progress and prosperity.

The message also connected two historic anniversaries. The cosmonauts pointed out that this period also marks the 65th anniversary of the pioneering human spaceflight by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, whose achievement opened the door to human exploration of space.

Gagarin himself shares a special connection with India. During his visit to India in November 1961, he famously remarked that India looked beautiful from above, but was even more beautiful on Earth because it was home to true friends. More than six decades later, those words were echoed in spirit from orbit by a new generation of Russian space travellers.

The cosmonauts highlighted that cooperation in space has always been one of the strongest pillars of India-Russia relations. Indeed, few countries can match the depth and duration of that partnership.

The story began in the early years of India's space programme. While India's first sounding rocket, the American-built Nike Apache, was launched from Thumba in 1963, the growth of India's space capabilities soon witnessed significant cooperation with the Soviet Union. As India expanded its ambitions beyond sounding rockets and experimental launches, Moscow emerged as a trusted partner.

A defining milestone came in 1975, when Aryabhata, India's first satellite, was launched into space aboard a Soviet rocket. That launch marked India's entry into the community of spacefaring nations and became a symbol of scientific cooperation between the two countries.

The partnership grew stronger over the following decade. In 1984, Wing Commander Cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to travel to space aboard the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz T-11. His mission remains one of the most celebrated chapters in India's space history.

Rakesh Sharma's journey was not merely a spaceflight. It was an Indo-Soviet Friendship Mission, conceived as a demonstration of cooperation in science, technology and human endeavour. During the mission, Sharma conducted scientific experiments and carried the hopes of a billion Indians into orbit and even did Yoga in space.

His exchange with then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi became part of national memory. Asked how India looked from space, Sharma famously replied, "Saare Jahan Se Achha," words that continue to inspire generations of Indians.

The Soviet Union and later Russia continued to play a vital role in India's space development. Many Indian satellites found their way into orbit aboard Soviet and Russian launch vehicles. These launches provided India with critical access to space during a period when indigenous launch capabilities were still maturing.

Russia's contribution extended beyond launch services. One of the most significant areas of cooperation came in advanced propulsion technologies. Despite geopolitical pressures and technology restrictions, Russia supported India's efforts in cryogenic engine technology, an area regarded as essential for launching heavy satellites into geostationary orbit. The collaboration helped India move closer to self-reliance in one of the most challenging domains of rocket engineering, India's earliest heavy lift rockets were powered by Russian made cryogenic engines.

The friendship has endured through changing political landscapes, economic transformations and technological revolutions. For many in India, Russia remains an "all weather friend," a trusted partner that has stood alongside the country during critical moments in its scientific and strategic development.

Today, the relationship has entered a new phase with India's ambitious human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan.

As India prepares to send its own astronauts, known as Gaganyatris, into space aboard an Indian spacecraft, Russia has once again played a crucial role. The selected Indian astronaut-designates underwent intensive training at the world-famous Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City near Moscow.

The training covered a wide range of activities, including spacecraft systems, survival exercises, emergency procedures and physical conditioning. The experience helped prepare the future Indian astronauts for the challenges of human spaceflight while further strengthening institutional ties between the Indian Space Research Organisation and Russia's space establishment.

The Russian cosmonauts also referred to a recent joint competition organised by Roscosmos, a Russian foundation and the Indian Space Research Organisation. The competition celebrated the spirit of India-Russia cooperation in space and encouraged young minds to imagine the future of exploration.

Displaying winning entries from the competition aboard the ISS, the crew said they were delighted to congratulate the friendly people of India on Independence Day. They wished Indians peace and prosperity and expressed the hope that dreams of space exploration would inspire future generations to achieve new victories beyond Earth.

Their message concluded with a simple but powerful declaration: "Long live India-Russia friendship."

As India looks ahead to launching its own astronauts, building a space station and eventually sending explorers to the Moon, the greeting from orbit serves as a reminder of how far the nation has travelled. From Aryabhata riding a Soviet rocket into space in 1975 to Indian Gaganyatris preparing for independent missions, the India-Russia space story remains one of the most enduring partnerships in the history of space exploration.

And on India's 80th Independence Day, that friendship was visible not on Earth, but high above it, where the Indian flag floated proudly inside the International Space Station, carried by the goodwill of three Russian cosmonauts and decades of shared achievement.

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