New Delhi, Aug 23 : India is progressing exceptionally well in the domain of space, said scientists on National Space Day on Saturday.

National Space Day is celebrated every year to mark the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which made India the first country to land on the South Pole of the Moon on August 23, 2023.

India also became the fourth country, after the US, China, and Russia, to make a soft landing on the lunar surface.

"I would like to say that India is progressing exceptionally well in the space domain,' B.R. Ramkrishna, former Director Telemetry, (ISRO), told IANS.

'Today, we have outlined many new programmes to meet exploratory requirements. Not only have we gone to the Moon, but we also plan missions to Venus and Mars, including landing attempts," he added.

Former ISRO Scientist, B.R. Guru Prasad, expressed happiness over children taking an active part in space activities.

"I'm very proud that our students are highly interested in the country's space activities and take pride in them. Their excitement reflects this enthusiasm, and I am sure they are inspired by these achievements. This interest will encourage them to study science, mathematics, and engineering, and many may choose careers in these fields," Prasad, also the Director of Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium in Bengaluru, told IANS.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh interacted with India's four astronauts-designates for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission -- Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Group Captain Ajit Krishnan.

Calling them a 'huge asset', Singh said that they "shared valuable insights from their training and the upcoming milestones leading to India's first Human Space Mission, scheduled for launch in 2027,'.

Speaking at the National Space Day celebrations at Bharat Mandapam, Shukla said: 'The excitement about India's space future is present all over the world,' he said.

'The day is not far when other countries will come to India for their launches,' added Nair.

Astronaut Pratap reminded the nation of the deep legacy behind this achievement. 'We can't forget the decades of hard work put in by ISRO's pioneers who stayed committed to India despite lucrative opportunities elsewhere,' he said.

Krishnan noted that the scale of progress in the space sector in recent years has been significant. 'In just five years, we've gone to the Moon, achieved docking, and witnessed new startups thriving in the space sector. Other nations envy the pace at which we are moving. Our roadmap till 2047 is strong; we just need to focus and deliver.'

/IANS