Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, right, with Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
Space is for everybody, and space is going to epitomise what deep tech is going to be, said Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Indian Air Force Group Captain who is one of the astronauts selected for India’s first crewed spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan.
He was speaking at the third edition of Deep Science Forum, a deep science tech event held by Ankur Capital.
Mr. Nair, who was also the backup astronaut for the Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station, added that while space may encompass everything that deep-tech and deep-science stand for, it is also art, and that in space one sees not only mathematics and algorithms, but also poetry and romance.
Why an Indian should go to space
The Gaganyaan mission, expected to be carried out in 2027, will be the first indigenous mission that will send Indian astronauts to space. If successful, it will make India the fourth country to send humans to space, following Russia, the US and China.
“It’s very important that an Indian goes to space in 2027 or beyond through an Indian rocket…because, when India goes to space, India will hold space for the rest of the world,” said Mr. Nair.
Noting that the world is on a precipice currently, he highlighted how India sent vaccines to other countries during the COVID-19 crisis.
Holding space for others
“When American President Trump says they are doing things for mankind, he means they are doing it only for the American mankind… Centuries ago, other countries went out and colonised the rest of the world. Very soon, the Outer Space Treaty will be renegotiated. The Treaty was supposed to ensure that space is for everybody and no weapons will be put there, but you know where we are going with that. So, this time, when we go to space, we are going to hold space for the rest of the world and the rest of the world are rooting for us,” he said.
He also urged the startups and investors to not work the ‘American way’ and to follow the model the country followed during the COVID-19 vaccine crisis.
Published – January 14, 2026 05:22 am IST
