World Very Impressed With India's Space Science Achievements: Rakesh Sharma

Indian Astronaut Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma (Retd.) on Sunday applauded India's achievement in space science and technology and said that the world is impressed with what India has done.

Rakesh Sharma said that India has done scientific exploration very cheaply as compared to the others nations who spent a lot more for the same data.

"I think the world is very impressed with what India has done. India has achieved success on their very first attempts both for Chandrayaan and for Mangalyaan. And it's wonderful. And now that Gaganyaan is around the corner," he said.

"India has done scientific exploration very cheaply, so it's a very frugal space program that we run which everybody's envy because other nations are spending a lot more for the same kind of data which we are getting," Rakesh Sharma added.

Speaking about the present scenario of space in India and the kind of developments achieved, Rakesh Sharma said, "During my time, there were just two countries that were busy in the space sector--Russia and America--and they were competing with each other, whereas we were quietly doing our applications programme, our satellite programme, primarily because it was helping our economy. So our focus was within our country. Their focus was geopolitical race...But ever since then, I think we realised most of the aims of what space can do for the common people. And we've done that."

Speaking on NASA to train Indian astronaut for the International Space Station, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma said, "Two of our astronauts have gone there. It's a good idea because they will get a chance to have a look at the International Space Station and learn. Their expertise will be required to make our own space station."

When asked about the safety of astronaut Sunita Williams, who will continue to remain at the Space station and will return only on February 25, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma said that there's no worry as the world record is twice as long as she has stayed.

"No, she's not unsafe. That is being played up by the media. The only thing she was not prepared for was the length of stay, but that doesn't mean that it is going to endanger her life. The world record is twice as long as she has stayed. She is going to stay till February. So there's no worry on that score," he said.

Meanwhile, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has said it's "too risky" to bring the two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, back to earth currently, because of which Boeing's Starliner capsule will return without the two astronauts.

Wilmore and Williams will continue their work formally as part of the expedition and will return only in February 25. This means what would have been a week-long test flight will now extend to around 8 months.

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