To expand their knowledge and drive their interests in studying space science, a group of students from colleges under the Royal University of Bhutan and two students from Motithang Higher Secondary school are leaving for India tomorrow to witness the landing of India’s second lunar craft, Chandrayaan two.
They are attending the event on the invitation of the Indian Embassy in Bhutan.
The students will be witnessing the landing of the lunar craft on the southern side of the moon on the night of September 7th from Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in Bengaluru. Most of them are studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects in various colleges of the Royal University of Bhutan. They attended a briefing session at the India House Estate today.
“I really wanted to know the technical aspects of a spacecraft landing on the moon. I am also looking forward to visiting the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi which is one of my dream colleges,” said Yonten Wangchuk, a student of the College of Science and Technology in Rinchending, Phuentshogling.
“Actually I am pursuing BSc. Agriculture in my college. Basically I only have this agriculture background so this trip will be a different experience to see Chandrayaan 2 landing on the moon when we visit. I feel this trip will help me build my knowledge of space because ISRO is about space technology,” added Pema Tshomo, a student of the College of Natural Resources (CNR) in Lobesa, Punakha.
The Indian Embassy in Bhutan arranged the visit in keeping with re-inventing Bhutan-India relationship by focusing on areas relevant to youths of the two countries. It comes following the visit of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bhutan last month.
“But with changing times we need to re-invent the relationship and particularly make it relevant for younger generations of India and Bhutan, the youths. So this time when Prime Minister Modi came here it was his second visit. The focus of the visit was on areas and sectors which would have greater relevance for the young people- science, IT, Space. So space was one of the focus areas because it is the future of mankind,” said Gaurav Shresth, the Dy. Chief of Mission of the Embassy of India in Thimphu.
He shared that there is potential in space technology to be used for development in the areas of meteorology, mining, and agricultural planning. He also said there is focus to train more Bhutanese youth in the use of space technology which he says is one area of future cooperation for Bhutan-India relationship. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his last visit to Bhutan launched the ground earth station for South Asia Satellite which India gifted to the South Asian countries.
“The idea is that by seeing this significant event in the history of space exploration it will inspire the young people in India and Bhutan to study space science and we will be able to develop more competent technical base for further research in space science,” he added.
India’s second lunar craft, Chandrayaan two, was launched a month ago. It will be the first spacecraft to be landing near the moon’s South pole. Officials at the Indian Embassy said the lunar craft will explore the availability of water on the moon’s south pole.
