Assam’s Heritage Soars Again: Gamosa Travels to Space with NASA’s Mike Fincke

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke is back in space, and with him, Assam’s pride has soared beyond the Earth once again. Aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the newly launched SpaceX Crew-11 mission, Fincke carries a special symbol of Assamese heritage — the traditional Phulam Gamosa.

This mission marks yet another chapter in Fincke’s remarkable association with Assam, a bond that dates back decades. Married to Renita Saikia, a NASA official from Assam, Fincke is fondly remembered in the state for performing the traditional Bihu dance in zero gravity during his 2004 ISS expedition. Draped in a Gamosa and floating in microgravity, the astronaut executed the graceful steps of Bihu, a cultural moment that captivated hearts back home.

During a visit to Assam in 2009, Fincke interacted with school students, urging them to dream big. “This should not be the last Bihu in space. There should be somebody from you to dance Bihu in space,” he said.

In 2011, Fincke carried Assam’s tea and a Gamosa during another space mission. That historic Gamosa is now carefully preserved at the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati as a cultural artefact, symbolising Assam’s pride in global space exploration.

Now, more than two decades after that iconic Bihu dance, Fincke has returned to orbit alongside fellow NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The crew lifted off aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, on August 1, docking with the ISS on August 2. They will spend six months conducting critical research supporting future missions to the Moon and Mars under NASA’s Artemis program.

Their experiments will focus on long-duration spaceflight technologies, human health in microgravity, and biological and physical sciences — paving the way for humanity’s return to the Moon in 2026 and eventual Mars exploration.

Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy hailed the Crew-11 launch as “the first step toward our permanent presence on the Moon,” reaffirming NASA’s long-term vision of sustainable space exploration.

As Fincke begins his latest odyssey, carrying with him the Gamosa — a timeless emblem of Assamese identity — his journey stands as a powerful symbol of cultural pride riding on the wings of scientific progress.

Also Read: India Launches NISAR Satellite, a Historic NASA-ISRO Collaboration, from Sriharikota