New Delhi, Aug 24:
Meet India’s four Gaganyatris — Group Captains Shubhanshu Shukla, PB Nair, Ajit Krishnan and Angad Pratap.
They were felicitated by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Sunday for their role in ISRO’s maiden human space mission Gaganyaan.
Calling them “gems of the country,” Singh said the astronauts were pioneers of national aspirations.
“We do not see space only as a field of research, but as the future of tomorrow’s economy, security, energy and humanity,” he remarked.
He said India’s space journey had stretched from the Moon to Mars, and the country now stood ready for missions like Gaganyaan.
The mission, he added, was a new chapter in Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
The minister praised India’s achievements from Chandrayaan to Mangalyaan, saying limited resources and unlimited willpower had made the impossible possible.
He stressed that satellites, weather data and disaster management tools were already transforming lives in every village.
On the future, Singh said space mining, deep space exploration and planetary resources would redefine civilisation.
“Space is not just about military power. It is the next stage in humanity’s collective journey,” he noted.
Special praise was reserved for Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who completed two-and-a-half years of training in just two-and-a-half months.
“His feat is not just India’s pride, but a message of faith and dedication for the world,” Singh said.
Shukla also shared his experience of travelling to the International Space Station during Axiom Mission 4.
The event was attended by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and Air Chief Marshal AP Singh.
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