As India celebrates its Independence Day, wishes are pouring in not just from across the world but space a well. Indian-American astronaut Raja Chari greeted the people of the country by posting a photo of the Indian national flag at the International Space Station (ISS) with a message for Indians living abroad. The photo also shows Earth in the background. Mr Chari recently returned home after a six-month mission at the ISS. He was among the four astronauts aboard a Space X spacecraft which safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, in the month of May.
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"On Indian Independence eve I'm reminded of Indian diaspora that I could see from @Space_Station where my immigrant father's home town of Hyderabad shines bright. @nasa is just 1 place Indian Americans make a difference every day. Looking forward to @IndianEmbassyUS celebration," Mr Chari said in his tweet.
Mr Chari, who works for American space agency NASA, was picked to be an astronaut in 2017. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, and grew up in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He is married to Cedar Falls native Holly Schaffter Chari, with whom he has three children.
According to Chari's biography on the NASA website, he graduated from Columbus High School in Waterloo, Iowa. From the US Air Force Academy in Colorado, he received a bachelor's degree in Astronautical Engineering. He was awarded a master's degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Chari's grandfather, a resident of Mahabubnagar in Telangana, was a Mathematics professor at Osmania University, Hyderabad. His father, Sreenivas Chari, had studied engineering at the same university and later moved to the US. The astronaut has visited Hyderabad a few times, where his relatives live.
India is celebrating 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', marking 75 years of its Independence.
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This day commemorates India's independence from the British rule. The celebration of Independence Day honours the sacrifices and tireless efforts of our courageous leaders and freedom fighters who gave their entire life for the sake of the nation and the countrymen.
