Raipur, Feb 3 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday inaugurated the state’s first space centre under the government’s ‘Antariksh Sangwari’ programme, and announced that the facility will come up in every district to nurture scientific temper in students.
The space centre has been established at the Government Higher Secondary School in Rakhi village, Nava Raipur Atal Nagar, in collaboration with IDYM Foundation, officials said.
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who was present at the inaugural ceremony, said Chhattisgarh is an energetic state, and its children possess immense curiosity and potential.
The inauguration of the space centre was a visionary step towards connecting children with space science, he said.
Addressing the gathering, Sai said the Antariksh Sangwari initiative will be expanded across Chhattisgarh, with space centres to be opened in every district to nurture a scientific temper in students.
“This space centre is not just a building, but a laboratory of dreams where children will understand science beyond textbooks through experiments and research,” he said.
Space science is no longer just a subject of curiosity but has emerged as a major career and employment avenue, the chief minister said.
In the coming days, the space centre will provide hands-on training in areas such as satellite construction, tracking, weather forecasting and cloud mapping, he said.
The space centre would also benefit farmers by providing accurate weather and crop-related information, he said.
Sai also highlighted the importance of satellite technology in national security and defence, including during ‘Operation Sindoor’, and stated that the role of space science in this sector would grow in the future.
Recalling his space mission last year, Indian Air Force Group Captain Shukla said India achieved a historic milestone after 41 years, and the journey belonged to the entire nation.
Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS), undertook an 18-day mission to the orbital laboratory in June-July last year.
Shukla told the gathering that during his 20-day stay in space, he orbited the Earth 320 times and travelled nearly 14 million kilometres, and urged students to work relentlessly to fulfil their dreams.
Chhattisgarh Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap was also present for the inauguration. PTI TKP ARU
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