- India is entering a golden period of space exploration, says Shubhanshu Shukla
- India has repeatedly carried out competitive missions and achieved them successfully, he says
- Mr Shukla says the new generation will enable the dreams to become reality
India is entering the "golden period" of space exploration, with both vision and technical capability aligning to turn ambitious dreams into reality, said the country's 21st-century space hero and astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla.
Speaking to NDTV, Mr Shukla also underlined India's consistent achievements in space, including the Mars mission and the successful landing near the Moon's south pole.
"We are a nation that has repeatedly carried out competitive missions and achieved them successfully. Now is the time to take the next step - sending Indians into space and eventually landing on the Moon," he said.
India is already preparing to establish its own space station in the coming years, a move that will put the country among a select group of nations with independent human spaceflight capability.
On interacting with young students, Mr Shukla struck an optimistic note. "The only limiting factor is their own mind. The opportunities are here, the conditions are right. They just have to believe. It's this generation that will enable our dreams to become reality," he told NDTV.
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