India Russia Space Dialogue Program

Students participate in the India Russia space dialogue programme.

Space exploration is a force of nature unto itself that no other force in society can rival. Neil deGrasse Tyson

A few students of class XI Science got the opportunity to visit the Russian Centre of Science and Culture for the 'India Russia Space Dialogue Programme', on 15 April, 2023. Their teacher, Ms Ayesha Khan accompanied the group. The programme aimed at strengthening the bond between India and Russia, keeping in view, future space programmes. It also provided an insight into our future roadmap and the skilled workforce.

The session commenced with an opening ceremony and welcoming the chief guest. Among the invitees was Ms Ekaterina Malysheva, granddaughter of Yuri Gagarin, the first human to journey into outer space. She shared many interesting stories of her pioneer grandfather and his journey in space. Some anecdotes about his training were also narrated through visuals.

Mr Anurag Arora, Assistant Administrative Officer of Nehru Planetarium, talked about the mesmerising light and sound show at the Nehru Planetarium called 'Navya ki Udaan'. Next in line was Mr Sudheer Kumar, Director of CBPO, who listed the key milestones and the challenges faced during the first space mission. This was followed by a talk about the completion of 75 years of India - Russia Space Cooperation. Messrs Valery Panasenko and Venkitakrishnan, well-renowned space scientists, were the esteemed panelists for this discussion. India-Russia Space Cooperation has always had a close strategic partnership. From launching Aryabhata, India's first unmanned satellite in 1975, to sending Wg Cdr Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to travel space in 1984, the Cooperation has seen many pinnacles.

The main takeaway of the session was that space belongs to everyone and, therefore, should be used for peaceful purposes. There are endless possibilities for India and Russia as a multipurpose space power.

Following the discussion, was a lecture by keynote speaker, Mr Harpreet Singh, who talked about women in aerospace and encouraged the aspiring girls to explore the world of Space Science. The first and second woman to travel to space were from Russia. He gave the examples of Kalpana Chawla, Sunita Williams and Dr. Tesi Thomas to motivate the audience. The relation between India and Russia could, thus, be rightly summed up by APJ Abdul Kalam's philosophy, 'Power respects Power'.

Overall, it was a wonderful and insightful experience for all the students. It gave them an introduction to the special world of Space Science.