New Delhi, Aug. 24 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced the creation of an astronaut pool, highlighting the need to nurture new talent for India's ambitious space missions. In his address to the nation on the occasion of National Space Day, PM Modi shared that his recent meeting with astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, following his return from a two-week long mission aboard from the International Space Station (ISS), inspired the new initiative. "I saw the infinite courage and dreams of the youth during the discussion with Group Captain Shukla. We are going to create an astronaut pool to realise these dreams," he said, urging young people to participate. Modi also underscored the importance of exploring deep space, stating, "Beyond galaxies, lies our horizon," and emphasised the ambitious goals for missions like Gaganyaan and building of India's own space station. "We have already reached the Moon and Mars. Now we must delve deeper into those regions of space where many vital mysteries for the future of humanity are concealed," he said. The Prime Minister praised India's growing role in the global space community. He pointed to India's chairing of the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics, which saw participation from over 300 candidates from 60 nations. "This is a sign of India's evolving leadership role in the space sector. I am glad that Isro has launched a space hackathon and robotics challenge to drive interest in space among youth," Modi added. He also stressed that India's policymaking in the space sector must not have an endpoint. "Space makes us realise that no milestone is finite and, similarly, there should not be any last stop to policymaking in the space sector," he said. PM Modi encouraged the private sector to take a leading role in India's space missions. He recalled a time when the sector was "tied up with several impediments", and highlighted how the government has since "set the sector free of these shackles". Setting a clear target, the Prime Minister called for at least five unicorns to emerge in the space sector within the next five years. "We see five to six large launches from India every year. The private sector must come forward and take us to such a position in the next five years when we can launch 50-60 rockets into space," he said. He regarded space technology not only as a means of exploration, but also as an "instrument for ease of living". "Whether it is satellite-based assessment in Fasal Bima Yojana, information and safety provided to fishermen through satellites, disaster management, or the use of geospatial data in the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, Bharat's advancements in space are making the lives of ordinary citizens easier," the PM noted....