PM Modi’s Interaction With Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Showcases India’s Space Ambitions, WATCH NOW

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a historic moment with Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, India snaps his first trip into outer space and belongs to the International Space Station (ISS) as a member of the Axiom-4 mission. 

It was not a purely big-talking Prime Minister. It depicted the Indian presence in the area of world space exploration, and India trying to relate scientific best moments to the general population. At the meeting at his house in New Delhi, Shukla gifted Modi a mission patch of Axiom-4, a memorabilia that signifies India entering the global human spaceflight missions. He also posted beautiful photos of Earth taken in space and they demonstrated the magnificence of the planet and emphasized the emotional aspect of space exploration.

During the discussion, Shukla brought vivid examples in explaining difficulties of microgravity, how the human body slows down, the brain needs to rewire itself when coming back and how mental preparation is as much important as physical one. He also learnt stories of doing experiments on-board, such as sprouting of simple Indian staples through moong and methi sprouts. To him, they have the potential of being critical in alleviating food security issues in future space trips, besides providing an answer to sustainable food on earth.

PM Modi praised the work that Shukla did as India has taken its space journey into the realm of accomplishment. He is clear that missions such as this are not a destination in themselves but are building blocks towards more significant objectives in the future like the indigenous Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, a dedicated Indian space station, and one day lunar missions.

The meeting made some mention of the international reaction to the pace of progress in India. Shukla tells about the overwhelming curiosity and excitement of other astronauts about the progress of India, many of whom wanted to personally attend future launches of India. What was most encouraging to him, though, was the interaction with the students, no longer curious as to whether they could ever be astronauts, but as to how they could.

Such a change in thinking Modi observed was indicative of a changing role of India as one capable not only of being a participant but also a leader in space explorations. Regardless of these failures such as Chandrayaan-2, the persistence of India as it witnessed Chandrayaan-3 success and continues to invest in space research has become a source of hope to the global community.

It is not only a political gesture, it has put the conversation on a larger scale, as spread by the social media outreach of Modi. It is an indication of India on a continuous journey towards becoming a global leader space-wise, through science and perseverance and dreams of its youth.

Watch the full interview here:

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