Chennai: Cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov inaugurated an aerospace research laboratory in Bharath University on Wednesday in Chennai and assured to train five best students from the university at Roscosmos State Corporation near the city Korolev in Russia.
The cosmonaut has also been made an adjunct professor of the department.
Russia and India has maintained a good relation for several years, Sharipov said.
“It is a great responsibility to have such laboratory. Russia and India have joint space program together. I hope Indians fly to Mars soon. The students of this university are working towards mission to Mars project, which is a great initiative,” he said. He said he hoped one of the students of this college become the first one to fly to Mars.
Sharipov, selected by GCTC (Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre), was the first cosmonaut of the Kyrgyz Republic to become a cosmonaut candidate. He has flown two missions and has logged over 422 hours in space.
Sharipov will also nurture and train five best students every year from the University for future Space Research activities. It will be a 15 days training and knowledge sharing by the cosmonaut. Consul General of Russia, Sergey Kotov, said that Sharipov was the first Russian cosmonaut in Chennai. “It is very inspiring. India has already made few big steps to space. Today we found great interest among students. Without which nothing can be explored,” he said.
Vice chancellor of the university M. Ponnavaiko said, “For the first time in India a cosmonaut has come to the university and inaugurated a laboratory. Our students are working on mission to Mars and collect debris from space. The students will also develop aerospace tourism.”
