In his 11th consecutive Independence Day address from the ramparts of Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the country's achievements in the space sector. He mentioned that the launch of Chandrayaan has ignited scientific curiosity among the youth, and emphasised the need for educational institutions to further nurture this spirit. PM Modi also stressed the importance of the space sector in India's progress, stating that it is essential for the country to become a powerful nation and that the sector is becoming vibrant with increasing strength.
Furthermore, PM Modi discussed the significant contribution of start-ups in the space sector, noting that hundreds of start-ups have emerged and are involved in the launch of private satellites and rockets.
National Space Day
The Government of India has recently declared August 23rd as "National Space Day" to celebrate the remarkable success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission. The mission achieved a safe and soft landing of the Vikram Lander and deployed the Pragyaan rover on the lunar surface near the South Pole. This historic achievement places India among an elite group of space-faring nations, making it the fourth country to land on the Moon and the first to do so near the South Pole.
Celebrations for this achievement are taking place across the country during July and August 2024, with the aim of engaging and inspiring the younger generation in the field of Space Science and Technology.
Start-ups in the space sector
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently announced a significant milestone for private space ventures in India. Agnikul Cosmos successfully launched its Agnibaan rocket, marking the second test flight of a private Indian launch vehicle, following the Vikram-S launch by Skyroot Aerospace in November 2022.
The Agnibaan rocket encountered challenges during its journey as Agnikul Cosmos initially attempted to launch the Suborbital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD) test flight two days prior. However, these attempts were aborted twice due to irregularities detected during the pre-launch procedures.
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