New Delhi: India is expanding its space in the global order and this can be seen in its space programme too, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today as he revealed the names of four astronauts part of the country's human space flight mission Gaganyaan.
The Prime Minister today gave astronaut wings to the four selected for the space flight during an event at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. The four astronaut-designates selected for the Gaganyaan mission are Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla.
The human space flight mission aims to launch a three-member crew into a Low Earth Orbit and bring them back after three days. The astronauts chosen for the mission have been trained in technical knowledge as well as physical fitness to ensure they stay well during the mission.
"The country has come to know about the four Gaganyaan passengers. These are not just four names or four people. These are four powers who will take the aspirations of 140 crore Indians to space," the Prime Minister said. "Forty years later, an Indian is going to space. But this time, the timing, the countdown and the rocket belong to us," he added. Earlier, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma (retired) went to the space in 1984 as part of a Soviet mission.
The Prime Minister said that at a time when India is set to become the world's third-largest economy, the Gaganyaan mission will take our space sector to new heights.
He also noted the crucial role women scientists have been playing in the space technology sector. "India's Nari Shakti is playing pivotal role in the space sector. Be it Chandrayaan or Gaganyaan, no such mission can be imagined without women scientists," he said.
The Prime Minister said India's success in the space sector was not only sowing the seeds of scientific temperament in the young generation, but also helping it emerge as a dynamic global player in the 21st century by showcasing significant strides across sectors.