National Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India must prepare a team of 40–50 astronauts to lead future space missions. The Prime Minister made this remark while interacting with Shubhanshu Shukla, who recently returned after spending 20 days in space. Shukla became the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) via the Axiom-4 commercial mission.
During the interaction, Shukla informed the Prime Minister that there is tremendous global interest in India’s Gaganyaan mission. He also shared his experiences of the Axiom-4 mission, including adapting to microgravity conditions and conducting experiments in the orbital laboratory. The video of their conversation was released on Monday evening.
The Prime Minister said, “For India’s future space missions, there is a need to prepare a team of 40–50 astronauts.” He described Shukla’s space journey as the first step towards India’s larger ambitions in space exploration. Modi added that while very few children may have thought of becoming astronauts until now, Shukla’s mission would inspire greater confidence and interest in this field.
PM Modi also underlined that India has two major upcoming space goals—the Indian space station and the Gaganyaan mission—and Shukla’s experience would prove highly valuable for both.
Shukla, in turn, highlighted that both missions present India with a significant opportunity. He praised the government’s consistent commitment to the space sector, even in the face of setbacks like the Chandrayaan-2 mission. He noted that continuous budgetary support from the government made the success of Chandrayaan-3 possible, and such perseverance has elevated India’s stature globally in space science.
He further added, “India can play a leadership role, and with other countries participating under India’s leadership, a space station could become a powerful collaborative platform.”
Shukla also told the Prime Minister that the Gaganyaan mission is generating great enthusiasm worldwide. “My fellow astronauts even asked for signed notes, expressing their desire to be invited to the launch and to one day travel aboard an Indian spacecraft,” he revealed.
India aims to launch its first human spaceflight in 2027, establish its own space station by 2035, and land an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040.
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