BHUBANESWAR : India is on the path to conduct its own human spaceflight mission and plans to land someone on moon by 2040, said astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla here on Wednesday.
Addressing the SAITED event organised by SAI International School, Indian Air Force group captain Shukla said the human space mission aligns with the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047 and when enabled, the entire ecosystem will lift up the country’s education, industries and R&D.
These missions are going to be extremely complex and students of this generation have a huge role to play in making them happen, he said. “We want to see an Indian landing on the moon and we have to make it happen together.
So going forward from this time, I would urge you to be curious and excited about space and science,” astronaut Shukla told the students. The astronaut, selected for India’s first human spaceflight mission ‘Gaganyaan’, also encouraged students saying they can choose any profession to be a part of the space missions.
“Your chance to be part of a future space exploration isn’t limited to just being an astronaut. There are multiple other domains including nutritionist, designer, space physical educator as well as someone practising space medicine through which you can contribute to the mission,” he said.
The IAF group captain also said the space startup ecosystem of the country which is witnessing rapid growth also offers ample scope. “Half a decade back India’s start-ups in space sector were in double digit, less than 100. Today, more than 300 startups are actively working in the field of space,” he said.
Astronaut Shukla described his space mission to ISS as a new and powerful experience. “I have been a fighter pilot most my life. When I went for the mission, I thought that I know the feeling. But when the nine engines on the Falcon-9 rocket ignited, everything I knew just flew right out of the window. You go from 0 kmph to 28,500 kmph in just 8 and half minutes. This huge acceleration is sustained for a long time and your body feels it. It was such a powerful experience,” he said.
“In my 18 days of stay in the space centre, I lost about 5 kg of weight including about 4.2 kg of muscle mass. That is how quickly you lose your muscle in space because you are not using it,” he said.
He also said that the initial results of his space experiment with microalgae, one of the seven researches he carried out in space, will be published by the scientists very soon. “I grew microalgae in space for 18 days. The initial results will be published by the scientists very soon and if they are found viable, they can really be a very good source of addressing food security,” he said.