00:00Sir, this moment has finally happened.
00:03You were also heading the ISRO when the Boeing Starliner had gone into space.
00:07What does this moment mean to you?
00:09How are you tracking it about the splashdown on Earth?
00:14This is a moment we were all waiting for to happen for quite some time after the issue
00:22of the Boeing Starliner getting into some difficulties of bringing Sunidhi and others
00:28back home and coming empty.
00:30We were looking with a lot of anticipation how they are going to come back.
00:35And all of us knew that it is going to come back only through Dragon.
00:38That seems to be the only option left.
00:40But then it took quite some time.
00:42I really don't know why it took so much time.
00:44Possibly they could have done it early.
00:46But then it happened today.
00:48We should be very, very happy to see it's happening.
00:51And it also showcases our ability to handle crisis.
00:56Human beings don't get stuck in space.
00:58But there are mechanisms to bring them back.
01:00Of course, it's available.
01:01So though it doesn't happen with the main satellite, which they intended to, because
01:06Boeing Starliner is no longer functional and ready to take human beings.
01:10But then at least there is a Crew Dragon available to do that.
01:14And if it was not there, still there would have been another craft available from the
01:18Russian side or somewhere else to do this mission.
01:21So human beings have now progressed far beyond its original capability of going to space
01:26travel and gives us hope that future travel will happen with more and more vehicles available.
01:32Options should be available for us to go and come back to space.
01:37So you also, because you led the Chandrayaan mission that gave such a celebration moment
01:41for India and how this was consistent determination that came in.
01:45Tell us about what such missions mean to scientists like yourself, because there are so many other
01:51uncertainties, challenges that people outside the agency may not realize.
01:55So tell us about the kind of efforts, the determination that is needed to keep going
02:00to ensure success, this or that will come and the kind of challenges that are often
02:05involved in such missions.
02:08The human space missions are always very, very challenging technically, as well as planning
02:14and execution.
02:15First and foremost is, of course, design of the spacecraft where human beings travel.
02:19It's a really complex mastery of engineering and science.
02:23It's design, it's operation, software and every element that has to work very synchronously.
02:29I think that is one of the biggest challenges and it takes years of perfection to make it
02:33work every time, though it looks so simple and easy for it to come back and then land
02:38softly with the parachutes deploying, but it is fully autonomous and the human interventions
02:43are very, very minimum, except in case of contingencies and failures.
02:47So the whole of the mission is in terms of sequencing appropriately, the right time it
02:52has to de-orbit from the full velocity to the re-entry velocity, so as to precisely
02:57locate it to land at a very tight spot in a few kilometers away in the area where we
03:03have to collect them.
03:04So failures, how do you really handle failures in such missions and what type of redundancies
03:11are built into it in case anything goes wrong?
03:14And how ultimately, after the splashdown sites are identified for helicopter recovery tools.
03:20I think all of this, globally, they understand this and many a times there were initial issues,
03:26but now after having perfected it, it is like airline travel where you don't worry about
03:31all those technicalities, those who travel there.
03:34So it's a question of numbers, yeah, it's a question of numbers that we perfected with
03:38over a large number of specimens.
03:42All right, so remember it's also about the Indian roots that has found a connect for
03:47India and feeling like she's our space girl too.
03:50Sunita Williams was though born in Ohio on 19th September 1965, her father has been a
03:55neuroscientist born and brought up in Gujarat.
03:58He migrated to America in the 1950s where then Sunita Williams was born.
04:03So she has a mixed heritage of Gujarati and American descent.
04:08Sunita's ancestral roots are from a village in Gujarat, Jhulasan village in Gujarat, where
04:13literally there was a celebration mode knowing that in some way their village has also made
04:18it to the world map.
04:20She has visited Gujarat to reconnect with her cultural legacy and remember even though
04:24born and brought up in the USA, throughout her space journey she has consistently referred
04:29to her Hindu roots, whether it was with the Bhagavad Gita or even carrying the samosas
04:34as a snack.
04:35She's embraced her faith by carrying the Ganesh deities into the space to stay rooted.
04:41She also remember captured and shared a kumbh mela image when the ongoing mela was on and
04:46the kind of congregation we saw of the largest gathering on earth.
04:50She sent in an image from space as well feeling like she's a part of it.
04:54Also she's met Prime Minister Modi but that happened in 2007 when Prime Minister Modi
04:59was then the Gujarat Chief Minister and that is why we are told that the Prime Minister
05:04incumbent has also spoken to senior scientists for example Dr. Somnath has been inquiring
05:09consistently about her safe return which has now happened and he's known to her father
05:15as well.
05:16I want to go to B.K.
05:17Tyagi who's been a former Principal Scientific Officer from the Vigyan Prasad which looks
05:21at the scientific innovation technology research.
05:26So you tell me this, when I look at Sunita Williams or Kalpana Chawla stories, Sunita
05:31Williams here for specific reasons, do you think young girls here in India across the
05:36world possibly are looking at her journey?
05:40She's about 59 years of age and thinking if she can go into space so can I and I think
05:45of that story because sometimes you don't know who you're inspiring by just your efforts
05:51and determination.
05:53Yes I think this is very, it's an example and very inspiring not only for girls even
06:01for young boys also, our the future generation and in air is not abounding even the this
06:11the other astronaut he is I think 64.
06:18So this all are they all are setting an example if you have a determination you can do it
06:26and they are there, they overstayed there, they are still in a perfect stage of their
06:34health, they are very healthy, hearty, happy.
06:38So this gives a message because this is all, all the results will be the common heritage
06:44of the mankind in terms of their findings and it as the space industry will grow you
06:53know the more we need more and more people in a different at different level not only
07:00astronaut but the engineers, doctors, dietitians, designers.
07:06So this is like Sreeta William has set an example that space going to be the you know
07:17one of the future in science and technology and you have a definite option to opt for this career.
07:29To keep going sir because many would say that by the age of 60 a woman's prime is over,
07:35she shows and this is for anyone, anyone male or female at 60 as well your prime can be the
07:41biggest highlight and headline across the world.
07:44Professor P.D. Sahari, Sunita Williams and her Indian connect, I look at these visuals coming
07:50in from a village in Gujarat where there are celebrations and the connect that many feel.
07:54Do you think her journey has been inspiring to a lot of youngsters who may not have the
07:59means right away but they do have a dream, they have an ambition and when you look at
08:03stories like this you perhaps feel that many young youngsters are going to be encouraged
08:07and possibly later into the life as well if she almost at 60 can go into space I hope
08:13many others are looking forward to fulfill their dreams too.
08:17Yeah certainly, certainly it's very inspiring and she's a role model to many,
08:22many youngsters not only youngsters many other people, many other scientists even.
08:27So the way she has courage, the way she has all resilience as she stayed over there and
08:35faced all the difficulties and she really had very strong will to so it's all the qualities
08:43and mix are very different than others and many people will get inspired.
08:49I'm sure those who dream for such kind of thing I mean she will be always a role model.
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