Rourkela, Aug 23: National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela celebrated National Space Day with an inspiring event themed "Touching Lives While Touching the Moon: India's Space Saga" at the Bhubaneswar Behera Auditorium in its campus here on Friday.

The event, coordinated by Prof. Ananta Charan Pradhan from the Department of Physics & Astronomy and Prof. Naresh Krishna Vissa from the Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, in collaboration with the Astronomy and Astrophysics Club of NIT Rourkela, brought together over 300 participants, including students from NIT Rourkela and local schools.

The event was inaugurated with a keynote address by a distinguished astrophysicist Prof. Jayant Murthy, Honorary Professor at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore. Prof. Murthy’s talk captivated the audience as he shared his deep insights on space-based astronomy.

Prof. Murthy also emphasized the profound benefits of space studies, from global communications and weather forecasting to GPS and military applications. He also provided an educational overview of the Milky Way, Dark Matter, Black Hole, Nebulae, and Astronomical Instrumentation, along with explaining the significance of India's Chandrayaan-3 mission.

“It was a moment of national pride when our Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover landed on the Moon. Chandrayaan-3 was a mission accomplished with a cost effective budget. This achievement is not just a milestone for India but an indication of what India can achieve with its ingenuity and determination," Murthy said.

Following the keynote address, participants watched live streaming of the National Space Day celebrations from Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, where President of India, Droupadi Murmu addressed the nation.

President Murmu extended her greetings on this significant occasion and welcomed the decision to commemorate Space Day on the anniversary of Chandrayaan's Moon landing. 

Throughout the month leading up to National Space Day, NIT Rourkela organized various events, including a Poster Exhibition Competition and a quiz competition on space-related topics. Prof. Snehashish Chakraverty (Director in Charge of NIT Rourkela), Prof. Jyoti Prakash Kar (Head of the Department of Physics & Astronomy) and Prof. Rajeev Kumar Panda (President of the Student Activity Centre) presented awards and certificates to the winners of these competitions at the Valedictory Session of the event. Prof. Chakraborty also felicitated the competition judges—Prof. Sk. Md. Equeenuddin, Prof. Santos Kumar Das, and Prof. Susanta Kumar Bisoi for their valuable contributions.

The event concluded with a documentary screening on ISRO's space missions, leaving the audience inspired by India's continued journey in space exploration. Prof. Abhay Pratap Yadav hosted today’s event. 

This year's National Space Day marks the first anniversary of India’s historic achievement as the fourth nation to land on the Moon and the first to reach its southern polar region on August 23, 2023. This milestone is celebrated nationwide to honour India's strides in space science.

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