Kolkata: The sky is not the limit for India and for youngsters aspiring to be astronauts someday. The message landed in the auditorium of the Indian Centre for Space Physics off EM Bypass when Shubhanshu Shukla, the country’s first astronaut to make it to the International Space Station (ISS), addressed around 200 students at an event on Wednesday. This was his first visit to Eastern India after his return from space in July this year.Sharing his experience of spending 18 days in space, the astronaut ignited young minds by saying, “Now India has progressed in space science, and becoming an astronaut can be a choice of profession today. It’s your responsibility to help build a developed India by 2047.” The pilot for the Axiom Mission 4 now looks forward to more space missions, for which he needs to undergo a two-year training. “I have been to Barrackpore before, and I am happy to visit the city again,” beamed Shukla, Group Captain and test pilot with the Indian Air Force.He also showed a video of India as seen from space. Shukla said the future of India’s space science is “bright,” with the country gearing up for “big and bold dreams” as it re-enters human spaceflight after 41 years.“In 1984, when Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian in space, I was not born. With Gaganyaan and future missions, youths in India will be able not only to dream of becoming astronauts but also to achieve it,” he said. Shukla described his ISS flight, which he undertook with US support, as a “stepping stone” towards realising India’s Vision Gaganyaan. “Hands-on learning is different from what I learnt during training,” he said.
