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Srimathy Kesan, a renowned space educator hailing from the city of Chennai, has become the first Indian woman to experience zero gravity, through a celebrity space mission in the United States, which enabled her to become a one-day astronaut.
Kesan, who is CEO of Indian Aerospace company Space Kidz India, went to Kennedy Space Centre (NASA) this month to fly on a celebrity mission, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Final Moon Landing of Apollo 17. On December 9, the US-based non-profit group "Space for Better World" offered her the opportunity to fly in Zero Gravity with one of only 12 men to walk on the Moon. This event was organized by "Space for Better World" founder Christina Korp and celebrity Astronaut Wrangler. It was a three-hour flight travel experience at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The flight both took off from the Kennedy Space Center's historic Space Shuttle Runway. Kesan experienced zero gravity along with NASA Astronaut Charlie Duke, the 10th man to walk on the Moon, and Poppy Northcutt, the first woman to work in NASA's mission control. She even displayed the Indian national flag in her hands while experiencing zero gravity. "I have been working in the Space industry for the last 10 years. Space is an addiction and to be an astronaut is an out-of-the-world experience. I know it is very difficult for me to travel to space and be an astronaut at this age. I was thinking why not be a one-day astronaut," said Srimathy Kesan, founder and CEO of Space Kidz India and expert in space science. "I am the only Indian woman to experience zero gravity for the first time from India. It was a lifetime opportunity for every space lover to go inside Kennedy Space Center. It was exciting and superb to fly in zero gravity and lunar gravity. It was an exclusive opportunity for me. I experienced zero gravity with one of only 12 men to walk on the Moon," she added. Kesan said Prime Minister Modi is giving a lot of importance to Space science. She even vouched for space tourism, saying that it be economical and more beneficial for the growth of India. "We can see it by G20 Summit going to be held in India. Space tourism needs to be created in India. There is a big space for space tourism. If it comes that will benefit the whole Asia Pacific region. Space tourism exists only in the US. If space tourism was created will be economical and more beneficial for the growth of our nation," she added. (ANI)
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