National Space Day Celebrated at USTM with Focus on India’s Space Journey
The Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), in collaboration with the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), celebrated National Space Day 2026 through a week-long series of academic, scientific, hands-on and outreach activities. The celebrations focused on India’s remarkable journey in space science and technology.
The celebration was organised in alignment with the theme, “Towards Viksit Bharat: Innovating, Collaborating and Aspiring to Global Space Leadership.” Reflecting the spirit of the theme, the Polaris Astronomy Club of USTM presented a remarkable exhibition of detailed models depicting India’s rockets, launch vehicles and landmark space missions. The models showcased the evolution of India’s space programme from its early milestones to its ambitious contemporary missions, highlighting the country’s aspirations for a developed India and global leadership in space exploration.
The celebration commenced on 21 August 2026 at the NKC Auditorium, with Dr. Murchana Khusroo, Convenor, National Space Day 2026, formally inaugurating the programme. A major highlight of the inaugural session was the keynote address by Dr S. P. Aggarwal, Director, NESAC, who emphasised that National Space Day is not merely a celebration of the successful Chandrayaan-3 landing, but also a reflection of India’s ability to learn from failures and continue striving for greater achievements.
The inaugural session was attended by Prof. G. D. Sharma, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, USTM, Prof. Enamul Karim, Dean, School of Applied Sciences, USTM, Dr Hari P. Jaishi, Head, Department of Physics, USTM, Dr B. K. Handique, Chairman, Local Organising Committee for National Space Day 2026 celebrations in the North-Eastern States and West Bengal, NESAC.
The event featured telescope demonstrations, daytime astronomy and solar observations using multi-spacecraft data, conducted by members of the Polaris Astronomy Club. These activities provided participants with practical exposure to observational astronomy and solar physics. The programme also included Poster, Model and Astrophotography Competitions for the student community.
The second day began with a National Hands-On Skill Development Training on “Decoding the Sun through Solar Image Processing using Multi-Spacecraft Data,” conducted by Dr Murchana Khusroo. The practical sessions enabled participants to work with scientific datasets and gain hands-on exposure to solar image processing and observational analysis, highlighting the growing significance of solar observations in the era of missions such as Aditya-L1.
A National Workshop on Research Methodology was also organised on the second day. The workshop featured a popular talk titled “A New Era of Space Exploration for the Next Generation” by Dr Kishor Kumar Baruah, internationally renowned astronomer and President, Pragjyotish Amateur Astronomers’ Association (PRAG), Guwahati.
The Valedictory Session was addressed by Prof. G. D. Sharma, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, USTM, who shared his observations on the celebration and its significance in promoting scientific learning and youth engagement.
Established in 2011, the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) is the first state private university in the field of Science and Technology in North East India. The University was accredited with an ‘A Grade’ by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in its first cycle of assessment in 2021. USTM remains committed to excellence in teaching, research, innovation, and community engagement, while promoting inclusivity, sustainability, and regional development.
