As India’s inaugural solar mission, Aditya-L1, begins its countdown towards the Sun, former International Space Station Commander Chris Hadfield praised India’s rising stature in the space sciences.
In an interview with news agency ANI, Hadfield said that the mission’s impact on human space flight and Earth’s protection, including critical systems like the electrical grid, internet, and satellites will be crucial.
“This example of landing on the moon and sending a probe to the sun or at least to go monitor the sun and getting Indian astronauts ready to fly in space, it provides a really visible example to everybody in India, but to everybody else around the world of just where Indian technological prowess is right now and sort of a hint of everything that’s to come,” Hadfield said.
Hadfield also highlighted global reliance on technology for electricity and communications and the interconnected electric and data system.
While commending Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership with respect to the landmarks crossed and milestones achieved by the Indian space agency, Hadfield said: “I think Prime Minister Narendra Modi has seen that for several years. He is very much directly involved with the Indian space and research organisation…So it’s a really smart move on India’s leadership’s part right now, to be pushing it, to be developing it, but also being in the process of privatising it so that the businesses and therefore the Indian people can benefit.”
