The North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Department of Science, Technology, and Climate Change, Government of Assam, organized a day long program to celebrate the National Space Day-2024 on 16th August, 2024 at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati. The event took place at the Srimanta Sankardeva International Auditorium and was aimed at showcasing the journey of the Indian Space Program leading to the successful landing on Moon on 23 August, 2023. This zonal program is the final program of a series of 12 similar events coordinated by NESAC and conducted across the eight NE states and West Bengal since July 12, 2024. A total of around 800 students accompanied by teachers from 28 schools and colleges actively participated in the event.
Ms Loya Maduri, Secretary, Dept of S & T and Climate Change, Govt. of Assam and Shri Chanchal Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of DONER were the guest of honour during the inaugural program. Both of them thanked ISRO and NESAC for organizing such an event. Ms Loya Maduri highlighted different initiatives of the Govt. of Assam to popularize science at the state and regional level. Shri Chanchal Kumar emphasized the benefits of space technology for the development of the NE region and gave a few examples on how the technology is practically utilized with the support of NESAC.
The event covered invited lectures on topics related to India’s Moon missions, Human space flight program, Space technology to understand the Solar System and Universe, etc. Shri Chayan Dutta, Project Director from U R Rao Space Centre (URSC), Bengaluru talked on Chandrayaan 3 mission while Shri A K Sinha, Group Director from Human Space Flight Centre, Bengaluru covered about the India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission. Prof M P Bora, from Dept of Physics, Gauhati University delivered an interesting lecture highlighting the science of Earth-Moon-Sun system. Shri Ganesh Mohan, Asst. Director, IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) addressed the students and told how the Indian Space ecosystem is changing with increased participation of Industries and the sea of opportunity that this provides to the young generation of our country. Dr Bibhab K Talukdar, CEO, Aaranyak in his lecture mentioned about how space technology is applied to address some of the important societal problems in Assam like human-elephant conflict, flood management, etc.
A space exhibition was also organized as part of the program, wherein NESAC and Department of S & T and Environment, Govt. of Assam displayed different models of launch vehicles and satellites as well as put up posters highlighting different components of Indian Space Program. The Space on Wheel from NESAC was also displayed during the program. The students actively participated in the program and interacted with the scientists and visited the space exhibition with great enthusiasm.
