Fisheries dept to organise National Space Day to mark Chandrayaan-3’s success on Tuesday

New Delhi: The Department of Fisheries, under the Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, is set to organise ‘National Space Day’ to mark the success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission, the department said on Monday.

To commemorate the remarkable success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, the Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying ministry will organise a series of seminars and demonstrations on the “application of space technologies in fisheries sector” in coastal states and Union Territories (UTs), starting at 10 a.m on Tuesday at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.

These seminars and demonstrations will also be organised across 18 locations, covering topics such as space technology in fisheries - an overview, the communication and navigation system for the marine domain, space-based observation, and its impact on improving the fisheries sector.

“The Indian fisheries sector plays a vital role in the Nation's economy, playing an important role in providing sustenance, employment, and economic opportunities, especially in rural areas. With an extensive coastline stretching 8,118 km, a vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covering 2.02 million square km, and abundant inland water resources, India showcases a rich and flourishing fisheries ecosystem,” the department said.

Space technologies can significantly enhance Indian marine fisheries management and development. Some of the technologies like satellite remote sensing, earth observations, satellite-based navigation systems and GIS, satellite communication, data analytics and AI, etc., brought transformative changes in the sector, the ministry said.

Creating history, the Chandrayaan-3 Mission on August 23, 2022, accomplished a safe and soft landing of the Vikram Lander and also deployed the Pragyaan rover on the lunar surface near the South Pole. The achievement placed India among an elite group of space-faring nations, making India the fourth country to land on the Moon and the first to do so near the south pole of the Moon.

The achievement is being celebrated across the country during July and August to engage and inspire the younger generation in the field of space, science and technology.