Bengaluru: Children armed with questions about rockets, shooting stars and life aboard International Space Station (ISS) turned a community interaction into an animated conversation Saturday, as astronauts Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Air Commodore Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair engaged with residents and students at Brigade Millennium Apartments in JP Nagar.The event, organised by Millennium Elders Forum, whose president BN Suresh is the chancellor of Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), drew 100 to 150 participants, including 50-70 children from the apartment complex.Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to visit International Space Station (ISS), and Nair, an astronaut-designate for India’s Gaganyaan mission, were greeted by eager young minds keen to understand the realities of space exploration.The children posed a range of questions, from how astronauts train for missions and what it takes to become one, to why space capsules land in water, how shooting stars appear from space and the challenges involved in designing heat shields. Shukla also shared his experiences of travelling to space and living aboard ISS, offering the audience a glimpse into life beyond Earth.The astronauts encouraged students to remain curious, pursue their interests sincerely and enjoy the process of learning. They stressed persistence and willingness to explore new ideas were as important as academic achievement.— Nyssa N Jain
