Introducing the four astronauts for India’s Gaganyaan mission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India will have its own station in space by 2035. The prime minister reviewed the progress of the Gaganyaan mission at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
Addressing after introducing the astronauts, Modi said, “By 2035, India will have its own space station in space that will help us study the unknown expanses of space. In this period of Amrit Kaal, Indian astronaut will land on the surface of the moon on our own rocket,” ANI reported.
The prime minister on Tuesday bestowed astronaut wings to four Indian Air Force officers selected for the country’s ambitious manned mission - Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajith Krishnan, Group Captain Angat Pratap and Wing Commander Shubanshu Shukla.
"I am happy that today I got the opportunity to meet these astronauts and present them in front of the country. I want to congratulate them on behalf of the entire country. You are the pride of today's India,” the prime minister said. He added, “They are not just four names or four human beings, they are the four powers that are going to take the aspirations of 140 crore Indians to space. An Indian is going to space, after 40 years. This time, the time is ours, the countdown is ours and the rocket is also ours,” ANI reported.
The prime minister visited Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram and inaugurated three projects - the PSLV Integration Facility (PIF) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota; new ‘Semi-cryogenics Integrated Engine and stage Test facility’ at ISRO Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri; and ‘Trisonic Wind Tunnel’ at VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram.