India progressing exceptionally well in space domain: Scientists

New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS) India is progressing exceptionally well in the domain of space, said scientists on National Space Day on Saturday.

National Space Day is celebrated every year to mark the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which made India the first country to land on the South Pole of the Moon on August 23, 2023.

India also became the fourth country, after the US, China, and Russia, to make a soft landing on the lunar surface.

"I would like to say that India is progressing exceptionally well in the space domain,” B.R. Ramkrishna, former Director Telemetry, (ISRO), told IANS.

“Today, we have outlined many new programmes to meet exploratory requirements. Not only have we gone to the Moon, but we also plan missions to Venus and Mars, including landing attempts," he added.

Former ISRO Scientist, B.R. Guru Prasad, expressed happiness over children taking an active part in space activities.

"I’m very proud that our students are highly interested in the country’s space activities and take pride in them. Their excitement reflects this enthusiasm, and I am sure they are inspired by these achievements. This interest will encourage them to study science, mathematics, and engineering, and many may choose careers in these fields," Prasad, also the Director of Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium in Bengaluru, told IANS.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology

Dr. Jitendra Singh interacted with India’s four astronautsdesignates for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission -- Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Group Captain Ajit Krishnan.

Calling them a “huge asset”, Singh said that they "shared valuable insights from their training and the upcoming milestones leading to India’s first Human Space Mission, scheduled for launch in 2027,”.