Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Aug 21 : “Chandrayaan 3 was a milestone, Chandrayaan 4 & 5 will follow,” announced Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh at the Curtain Raiser media interaction on the eve of 1st National Space Day at National Media Centre here.
India became the fourth country to land on the surface of moon and the first to reach its Southern polar region on August 23, 2023. To honour this landmark achievement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced August 23 as “National Space Day”.
India is celebrating its maiden National Space Day [NSpD-2024] on August 23, 2024 with the theme “Touching Lives while Touching the Moon: India’s Space Saga.” at Bharat Mandapam, Plenary Hall in the august presence of the President of India.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh said “Gaganyaan Mission is to send first Indian in Space in 2025″ highlighting India efforts to rise as a world leader in Space sector. He also recalled his recent meeting with the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral D. K Tripathi and underscored ISRO’s partnership with the Indian Navy, primarily for Crew Module recovery.
The Minister highlighted that more than Rs 1,000 crore investment came in the Space sector within months of collaboration with private partners.
Dr Jitendra Singh emphasised on the role of StartUps and reiterated that the Space sector had very few StartUps initially but now it has around 300 StartUps, many with global potential. Addressing the conference, the Minister recalled the Finance Minister’s budget speech in which she mentioned that the Space economy will increase by 5 times in the next 10 years.
At the Curtain Raiser, Dr. Jitendra Singh gave credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for unlocking the gates of Sriharikota for the world to witness India’s leap in the Space sector. And it also hosts a private launching Station.
The Science and Technology Minister while sharing the future plans said” One of the cornerstone projects is the establishment of the Bhartiya Antariksh Station by 2035 and Indian landing on Moon surface by 2045. He also shared that Rakesh Sharma has been guiding the Gaganyaan Mission Team. He also extended his best wishes to Sunita Williams.
Shantanu Bhatwadekar, Scientific Secretary, ISRO also accompanied the Minister for the Interaction. He said “ISRO organised a series of events across the seven zones of our country. Each zone hosted exhibitions, space science fairs, and interactive sessions with scientists to showcase India’s space journey. The events included demonstrations of satellite technology, model rocketry workshops, virtual reality experiences of space missions, National level competitions including ISRO robotics challenge and Bhartiya Antriksh Hackathon.”
Moreover, he underscored that this celebration is not just for the scientific community but for every Indian. Schools and colleges across the nation participated in space-themed competitions, debates, and quizzes. Research organisations, ministries, and non-governmental organisations collaborated with ISRO to conduct workshops and outreach programs, making space science accessible to the masses. Indian citizens had the opportunity to visit space exhibitions, interact with scientists, and even witness live launches at ISRO centres.
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