India, Dec. 22 -- Calling spaceflight a viable career choice for the next generation, 'Gaganyatri' Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Sunday said the profession of an astronaut is no longer aspirational alone but formally recognised in India.

"India is moving steadily towards its own human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan. We are also working towards establishing a Bharatiya Space Station, and by 2040, India plans to land on the Moon," he said during the Pune Literature Festival.

Reflecting on his own journey, Shukla said he was born a year after Rakesh Sharma made history by travelling to space in 1984. "I grew up hearing those stories, but becoming an astronaut never seemed realistic because India didn't have a programme then," he said....