New Delhi, Aug 23: IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla said on Saturday that the National Space Day is significant for motivating the entire nation for space exploration.

Speaking to IANS, Shukla, who in June became the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS), highlighted that the Day is aimed "to motivate the entire country to move in the direction where Bharat wants to go… that is space exploration."

Earlier while inaugurating the Aryabhatta Gallery at the Nehru Planetarium in Delhi, Shukla, nicknamed Shux, said it is important to apprise children about the achievements made by India in space exploration and science.

“I think it is very important to tell children what we have done in the past and what we are going to do in the future. These are small things that make children happy, and they understand how complex the subject of space exploration is,” Shukla said, while speaking to the media.

Citing the ancient astronomical text Surya Siddhanta, he said that India has a rich past in astronomy and science.

“In the origin of Surya Siddhanta, I think in 500 B.C., we were talking about the size of planets, the distance of the moon, and many accurate calculations were made at that time,” Shukla said.

Further, looking at the impending Gaganyaan mission, Indian space station, and Moon landing, he said: “I think if you are standing in India today, you can see a rich cultural past, which was very expansive with knowledge, and you can see a very bright future towards which we are going”.

Calling it a “responsibility to tell this to our children”, he said that these achievements can excite the children and enable them to “find their own way”.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh shared that "the success of the Chandrayaan 3 mission sent a message to the entire world that India has arrived”.

“Earlier, we used to be behind 10-15 years ago, but after Chandrayaan 3, the expectations of the whole world from us have increased, and a self-confidence has been awakened within us,” Singh said.

(IANS)

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