View yourselves as future space leaders: Astronaut Shukla to students

Hyderabad, Jul 13 (PTI) Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla on Monday urged students to see themselves not merely as participants but as future leaders of India's space programme, saying the country's growing space ambitions demand specialised skills and a strong research ecosystem. Speaking to students at IIT Hyderabad, Shukla outlined India's plans for human space exploration, including setting up the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (or Indian Space Station) and landing an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040. He said these milestones would need a new generation of engineers, scientists and innovators, and urged students to embrace interdisciplinary learning, curiosity and perseverance to contribute to India's growing space ecosystem. He stressed the need for continuous learning and expertise in emerging fields like space engineering to help realise India's long-term space goals. "India is entering one of the most exciting phases of its journey in space. Our ambitions of building the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and sending an Indian to the Moon will become reality only when today's students choose to build that future," he said. He said students should not think of it as an opportunity to be part of India's space programme but as their responsibility to make it happen. "The sky was never the limit — not for me, not for you, and not for Bharat," a release from IIT Hyderabad quoted him as saying. Welcoming the astronaut, B S Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad, said the institute was privileged to host Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla. Shukla's journey, "from the cockpit of the Indian Air Force to representing India in human spaceflight," reflects courage, discipline, scientific excellence and the spirit of exploration, he said. Such interactions enable students to learn beyond classrooms and inspire them to dream bigger, innovate fearlessly, and contribute to the country's technological and scientific advancement, he said. Earlier in the day, Shukla participated in the launch of his book, 'The Second Orbit', here. Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar, who attended the event, said the book reflects the "unwavering resolve and extraordinary journey of an ordinary Indian". Sajjanar hoped that students and youth would read the book and take Shukla's commitment, discipline and excellence as their ideal. Shukla undertook an 18-day mission on the ISS in June-July last year, becoming the first Indian to visit the orbital lab. Earlier, astronaut Rakesh Sharma had undertaken a space sojourn to the Russian space station Salyut-7 in 1984. PTI SJR SSK