National Space Day Celebrated at ORSAC with Students and Experts

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Space Applications Centre (ORSAC) celebrated National Space Day with great enthusiasm today, bringing together eminent scientists, academicians, students, and dignitaries. The event was graced by the Minister for Science & Technology, Krushna Chandra Patra, who highlighted India’s proud achievements in space exploration.

This year’s celebration revolved around the theme “Aryabhatta to Gaganyan: Ancient Wisdom to Infinite Possibilities.” The programme featured insightful discussions on India’s journey in space science—from its ancient roots to recent milestones like Chandrayaan-3 and the upcoming Gaganyan mission.

The Government of India declared August 23 as National Space Day to commemorate the historic success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission, which achieved a safe landing of the Vikram Lander and deployed the Pragyaan Rover near the Moon’s south pole. This mission positioned India as the fourth nation to achieve a lunar landing and the first to reach the south pole region.

At the ORSAC function, Rashmita Panda, Chief Executive, ORSAC, delivered the welcome address, while Dr. Debadatta Swain, Associate Professor, IIT Bhubaneswar, served as the Chief Speaker and elaborated on India’s space journey and future possibilities.

To engage young minds, a quiz competition on Space Science was organised for Class 9 students from government schools in Bhubaneswar. The winners were felicitated by the Minister, who also honoured faculty and students from IIT Bhubaneswar for their contributions.

Marking the occasion, Minister Patra planted a sapling at the ORSAC campus, symbolising growth and sustainability in the pursuit of scientific progress.

The event reflected ORSAC’s commitment to inspiring the next generation towards space science and fostering Odisha’s role in the national mission of scientific advancement.