Engineering Behind Rocket Science

🇮🇳🚀 Congratulations to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla – A Proud Moment for India!

On 26 June 2025, India took a giant leap in space history as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to reach the International Space Station (ISS).

He flew aboard the Axiom Mission-4, launched by SpaceX Falcon 9 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. With the Indian tricolour on his shoulder and 1.4 billion dreams in his heart, he has inspired an entire generation.

His mission marks India’s re-entry into human spaceflight after 41 years — a true milestone not just for science, but for Indian engineering excellence.

🚀 How Rocket Science Works – The Science Behind Reaching Space

People often say “it’s not rocket science” — but do we really understand what rocket science means?

🧠 1. The Basic Principle: Newton’s Third Law

“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

When a rocket engine pushes gas downward at high speed, the rocket itself is pushed upward. This action-reaction is what lifts rockets off the ground — even in space where there’s no air.

📈 2. The Real Challenge: Changing Mass & Acceleration (Newton’s Second Law)

As a rocket flies, its fuel burns — so the mass reduces continuously.

According to Newton’s Second Law: F=d(mv)dtF = \frac{d(mv)}{dt}F=dtd(mv)

To calculate the real-time thrust and motion, engineers use calculus — the mathematical tool that makes modern space flight possible.

🛰️ 3. How Does the ISS Stay in Space Without Falling?

The International Space Station is not “floating” — it’s constantly falling toward Earth, but it’s also moving sideways so fast (about 28,000 km/h) that it keeps missing Earth.

This perfect balance between gravity pulling it down and speed pulling it forward creates an orbit — a concept discovered by Isaac Newton centuries ago, and executed by engineers today with pinpoint accuracy.

🔧 From Theory to Reality – How Engineering Makes Rocket Science Work

The scientific principles behind space travel were known centuries ago, but only modern engineering has turned them into reality. Here’s how:

💻 CSE – Computer Science & Engineering

Develops autopilot systems, mission control software, space simulations
Powers the brain of the rocket and space station systems

🤖 AI & DS – Artificial Intelligence & Data Science

Analyses real-time data from space sensors, astronaut health, and system performance
Enables predictive maintenance and autonomous decision-making in spacecraft

📡 ECE – Electronics & Communication Engineering

Designs telemetry systems, data transmitters, and space-Earth communication
Essential for video, audio, and telemetry link between Shukla and ground control

⚡ EEE – Electrical & Electronics Engineering

Manages power systems, batteries, solar panel circuits, and internal wiring
Ensures safe, uninterrupted electricity flow in zero gravity environments

🏗️ CE – Civil Engineering

Builds space infrastructure: launch pads, assembly buildings, vibration-resistant structures
ISRO’s Sriharikota Launch Centre is a civil engineering marvel of India

🔧 ME – Mechanical Engineering

Designs rocket engines, fuel tanks, heat shields, docking arms
Handles extreme pressure, temperature, and vibration tolerance

🌟 Final Message to Students of West Bengal:

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla may have launched from America,
but the next generation of engineers who build India’s space future can rise from here — from Kolkata, Durgapur, Howrah, and every district of Bengal.

🚀 Whether you choose CSE, AI, ECE, EEE, CE or ME —

You are not just choosing a degree.
You are choosing to turn the world’s greatest scientific dreams into real machines that fly into space.