Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi visited VSSC
Home / Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi visited VSSC

February 29, 2024

Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram of ISRO played host to a landmark event on February 27, 2024, when Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi made his maiden visit to the mother centre of the Indian space program. During the visit he inaugurated and dedicated to the nation, three very important facilities of ISRO and reviewed the progress of Gaganyaan activities across ISRO centres. The facilities inaugurated were the Trisonic Wind Tunnel of VSSC, the Semi-cryogenic Integrated Engine & Stage Test Facility of ISRO Propulsion Research Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri and PSLV Integration Facilities of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR. All ISRO centres across the nation joined online.

In a function held at Dr. Srinivasan Auditorium of VSSC, Shri S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO/Secretary, DOS welcomed the honorable Prime Minister and other dignitaries including Shri Arif Mohammad Khan, honorable Governor of Kerala, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, Honorable Chief Minister of Kerala and Shri V Muraleedharan, Honorable Minister of State for External Affairs & Parliamentary Affairs.

The highlight of the event was the 'bestowing of wing ceremony' wherein the four astronaut designates for the prestigious Gaganyaan mission were revealed to the nation and the Hon'ble Prime Minister bestowed the wing patches on them. Group Captains from Airforce Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajith Krishnan, Angad Prathap, and Wing commander Shubhanshu Shukla received the patches.

In his address, the honorable Prime Minister lauded the ISRO scientists for making India the first country to land near the lunar South Pole. He mentioned not only our nation but the entire world is praising ISRO for this landmark achievement. He congratulated the four astronaut designates for becoming icons of the country. He lauded their hard work over the last three years. He mentioned that the Gaganyaan mission will take our country to new heights and it will be more fitting as it coincides with our nation's effort to become the third developed nation in the world. He also made special mention of the importance that ISRO is giving to empowering women workforce. He wished India would have its space station by 2035 and reiterated the role of ISRO in achieving Viksit bharath sankalp.

The 1.2 metre Trisonic Wind Tunnel at VSSC is a state-of-the-art facility and the first of its kind in India. The Trisonic Wind Tunnel produces a controlled uniform airflow over scaled models of rockets and aircraftto evaluate their aerodynamic characteristics and develop their designs. Towards fulfilling the aspirations of Atmanirbhar Bharat, the realisation of this engineering infrastructure has been strategized to the advantage of Indian industries. The tunnel has been fully conceived by ISRO and executed through M/s. Tata Projects and is a classical example of Make In India. The Trisonic wind tunnel will provide self-reliance for the end-to-end design of the upcoming launch vehicle projects of various space industries in India and the proposed advanced space missions for the next several decades as envisaged in the Space 2047 Vision.

Exhibition

Prior to the function Prime minister visited an exhaustive exhibition setup in VSSC portraying the progress of the Gaganyaan program. Engineers from different centres were present to detail the exhibits.

Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi conducted a comprehensive review of ISRO's preparedness for the landmark Gaganyaan mission at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) today. The review encompassed a thorough examination of critical flight hardware essential for the success of the Gaganyaan mission, including Crew Modules, Service Modules, and Orbital modules. The event, held at the Gaganyaan Integration & Checkout Facility at VSSC, showcased the nation's advancements in space technology and its commitment to space exploration.

During the review, Prime Minister Modi personally inspected various components vital to the mission's success. He closely examined the simulator used for astronaut training, underscoring India's dedication to ensuring the safety and proficiency of its astronauts. Additionally, the Prime Minister examined the Crew seat and spacesuit, emphasizing the meticulous attention given to every detail of the mission.

A significant highlight of the review was the interaction between Prime Minister Modi and Vyommitra, India's first space humanoid. Through voice commands in Hindi, the Prime Minister evaluated Vyommitra's speech and robotics capabilities, symbolizing India's innovative approach to space exploration and technology integration.

Furthermore, the review included the unveiling of the Reusable Launch Vehicle for the Next mission, showcasing India's commitment to sustainable and cost-effective space missions. Additionally, the prototype model of the Bharatiya Antariksha Station was presented, illustrating India's vision for future space exploration and habitation.

Expressing satisfaction at the readiness of the systems, Prime Minister Modi emphasized the importance of providing the best systems for India's astronauts. He commended the dedication and hard work of the team involved in the Gaganyaan mission, affirming India's commitment to achieving new milestones in space exploration.

Prime Minister Modi showed keen interest in the software and technologies developed as part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and appreciated ISRO's efforts towards commercialisation of the spin-offs.