From Our Correspondent
NONGPOH, July 12: In a bid to enlighten the young generation about space technology and its utilisation for the benefit of humankind, the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) will organise month-long programmes in all eight states of the Northeast until August 23 as part of the National Space Day celebration.
NESAC kicked off the event at Nongpoh, Ri-Bhoi, on Friday. The programme was held at the District Library Auditorium, Nongpoh, under the theme ‘Touching people’s lives by touching the moon’ in the presence of Dr Joram Beda, Commissioner and Secretary, Planning, Investment Promotion and Sustainable Development department, as the chief guest, besides Ri-Bhoi Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal and Director of NESAC, Dr SP Agarwal.
The programme was attended by more than 300 students from various secondary and higher secondary schools of the district, teachers, and officials.
The Director of NESAC, in his keynote address, recounted that August 23 has been declared National Space Day as proclaimed by the Prime Minister of India. This was done to recognise the significant milestone achieved by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in successfully landing Chandrayaan-3 Vikram on the south pole of the moon. To commemorate this day, he informed that month-long programmes will be organised in every state of the country. He also mentioned that NESAC has been given the responsibility by ISRO to conduct events in all eight states of the Northeast.
Commissioner and Secretary Dr Joram Beda, in his speech, congratulated NESAC for organising the event and suggested that such events should be taken in full earnest to inspire young generations.
He recalled the first launch of the sounding rocket Nike Apache in 1963, the launch of the satellite Aryabhatta in 1975, and India’s great achievement in landing Chandrayaan-3 Vikram on the south pole of the moon on August 23.
India is one of the leaders in space technology but is relatively a laggard among the few pioneering countries. It is a pride for our country, India, to have been able to send a probe to the south pole of the moon, a very difficult challenge that even countries like the USA and Russia have found difficult.
Additionally, India has also managed to send a probe that is almost touching the outer atmosphere of the sun, a great achievement for the citizens of India.
He encouraged students to seize this opportunity to learn more about space, hoping that this event would inspire young students to think and come back with bright ideas about space technology.
The Deputy Commissioner, in his speech, said that students are the future generation, and if they wish to be part of India’s space programme, they should develop their interest in STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. He encouraged students to fuel their interest in the space programme and learn more about it, to be serious in their studies, and to excel for a bright future.
The event also included a series of lectures on the Indian Space Programme with special emphasis on moon missions by ISRO scientists and lectures on space applications for societal benefit by Dr JM Nongkynrih, Scientist, and Engineer SF. Additionally, a Quiz competition for all students who attended the programme and the showcasing of the ‘Space on Wheels’ exhibition bus provided insights into ISRO’s prowess in the space sector, featuring models of different rockets and satellites.