Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today said that India is fully prepared for its first-ever human spaceflight mission, named Gaganyaan, and this is not just a technological achievement, but a new chapter in the journey of a self-reliant India.
The Defence Minister said this while addressing the felicitation ceremony in New Delhi of Gaganyatris Group Captains Shubhanshu Shukla, Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan, and Angad Pratap, who have been selected for this mission.
Mr Singh said that India’s contribution is not merely sending satellites into space; the country has shown the world what it is capable of.
The Minister said that India has already marked its presence from the Moon to Mars. Mr Singh stated that India does not see space merely as a field of research, but rather as a key to the economy, security, energy, and the future of humanity for tomorrow.
Highlighting the space journey of Group Captain Shukla, Mr Singh said that normally space programme training is quite long, taking about two and a half years, but Shubhanshu Shukla completed the training in just two and a half months.
He said that this achievement is not only a testimony to his personal ability but also a symbol of the hardworking minds of Indians.
