Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who has brought glory to India by reaching the International Space Station (ISS), met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. During this meeting, the Prime Minister embraced him as a mark of respect and praised his achievements.
PM Modi Shubhanshu Meet: The meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who created history at the International Space Station (ISS), was very special. The video of this meeting, which took place on Monday evening, was shared by PM Modi on his social media platform 'X' on Tuesday. In the video, PM Modi is seen congratulating Shubhanshu Shukla with a hug and saying that his experience will be invaluable for India's upcoming Gaganyaan mission.
The PM also said that India needs a group of 40-50 astronauts in the coming times, so that space missions can be strengthened. On this, Shubhanshu said that there is excitement and interest all over the world regarding the Gaganyaan mission.
PM Modi said - 'Your experience is invaluable for the Gaganyaan mission'
At the beginning of the conversation, Prime Minister Modi said to Shubhanshu that his experience would be very valuable for India's Gaganyaan mission. He said, India will need a group of 40-50 astronauts in the coming years. Your contribution will prove to be a guide in this. In response, Shubhanshu Shukla said that
'There is tremendous enthusiasm around the world regarding India's space program, especially the Gaganyaan mission. He said that his fellow astronauts also repeatedly asked him when India's Gaganyaan mission would start.'
During the conversation, Shubhanshu Shukla mentioned the challenges of space travel. He said, food is a big problem on the space station. Space is limited and the cost of every item is very high. We always try to include maximum calories and nutrition in minimum space. Many experiments are going on regarding this.
Prime Minister Modi also asked him about the mung bean and fenugreek germination experiment. On this, Shubhanshu said that these experiments were successful and sprouted grains can be easily grown. He said that if this technique is taken further, it can also become a solution to the food crisis in the future.
Returning to Earth from space is not easy
PM Modi also asked about the experience of returning to Earth from space. On this, Shubhanshu said that due to the absence of gravity in space, the body gradually adapts. The heartbeat slows down and the body feels light. But when we return to Earth, it becomes difficult to walk around in the initial time.
Shubhanshu said,
'When I took the first step, I started to fall. Although the body gradually adapts, the real training is of the brain. The brain has to rewire how much strength to apply to walk.'
Became a source of inspiration for children
Shubhanshu Shukla said in the conversation that after his space mission, children ask him the most questions about how they can become astronauts. He said, when Rakesh Sharma went in 1984, I never thought that I could become an astronaut because we did not have such a program. But now after the Gaganyaan mission, children are confident that they too can become astronauts.
Prime Minister Modi said on this that this is a big achievement for India. Now children's attraction will increase and they will be inspired to adopt space science as a career. During the conversation, Prime Minister Modi emphasized self-reliance and said that India should use its capabilities in space missions. Shubhanshu Shukla also agreed with this and said that despite challenges like Chandrayaan-2, India did not give up and made Chandrayaan-3 successful.
