In this episode of Manastu Space Podcast, we have Miss Ruchira Sawant, who as an educator and space science writer is leading through her passion driven efforts for creative innovation.Ruchira Sawant is a distinguished Space Educator and Scientific Communicator passionate about democratizing space science for Indian audiences. Through her compelling storytelling in regional languages and newspapers, she has inspired thousands to look up at the stars with wonder and understanding. Her work bridges the gap between India's groundbreaking space achievements and everyday person, proving that science communication is as crucial as the science itself.She is here to set and shape narratives, imparting a sense of independent thought and original creative thinking into young impressionable minds, school kids and local curious learners, and within their regional language.Her touch of authenticity and humble rootedness with the stories of her soil, she stands tall and class apart, as a next-door storyteller.Join us in this captivating conversation with Ruchira Sawant, renowned Space Educator and Scientific Communicator, as she reveals the untold stories behind India's space achievements and the art of making cosmic science accessible to every Indian.From discovering her readers on Mumbai trains to writing articles in mother tongues, Ruchira shares her unique journey of bridging the gap between complex space science and everyday people. This episode explores how storytellers breathe life into scientific achievements, the emotional connection behind KalamSat, and why space shouldn't be considered "alien" anymore.Featured in this episode:- How Rifath Sharook's team inspired from a gulab jamun - KalamSat, the world's lightest satellite (64g, 4cm cube)- Why writing science in regional languages creates deeper impact- The natural human connection between space exploration and our daily lives- Insights from working with legends like Dr. Kasturi Rangan and Mr. Srinivas Laxman- How Hollywood films like October Sky, First Man, and Gravity bring space closer to peopleTime Stamps:00:00 - Welcome to Manastu Space Podcast #101:00 - Future of Space from a storyteller's point of view1:55 - Bringing people to science3:00 - Starting with notable articles in newspapers5:00 - Finding my readers in train9:00 - Is Space an alien topic or a niche?10:30 - October Sky, First Man and Gravity: Great Space films by Hollywood11:35 - Journey of the People and natural connect14:15 - Making space 'accessible' for all mankind: A heartfelt anecdote18:00 - Dare to Dream with knowledge of science education19:50 - Getting inspired from a stranger's quality work20:50 - Articles written in mother-tongue have a unique impact22:35 - 'The Celestial Rendezvous' and 'From Gulab Jamun to the Stars'24:45 - KalamSat: World's lightest satellite (64g, 4cm cube) built by Space Kidz India, launched on NASA rocket in 201725:18 - How a Gulab Jamun inspired the smallest Satellite by Rifath Sharook and his team26:30 - Storytellers bring meaning and value to the work of scientists27:15 - Space Relationship with Mr. Srinivas Laxman28:25 - Advice from Dr. Kasturi Rangan29:15 - Magic of work lies in detailing and depth of research30:45 - Never underestimate the stories you put out for the universe to learn from🌍 Follow Manastu Space🔹Website: https://www.manastuspace.com/ 🔹LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/manastu-space/ 🔹Twitter/X: https://x.com/ManastuSpace 🔹Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manastuspace/ 🚀 The Manastu Space Podcast is India’s first in-house podcast by a space organization, bringing you deep-dive conversations with space-tech leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and thinkers shaping the future of space and deep tech. 🔔Do like, share, and subscribe - leave your feedback in the comments.For Enquiries: raj.shrivastava@manastuspace.com

India's Secret Nuclear Story: https://youtu.be/6Ar_1O3ftnQFrom Bullock Carts to Moon Landing - https://youtu.be/BPmLbsZTqsM?si=481iXYHC71XsG5NuIn this episode of Manastu Space Podcast, we have been joined by Miss Ruchira Sawant, who as an educator and space science writer is leading through her passion driven efforts for creativity & innovation.She is here to set and shape narratives, imparting a sense of independent thought and original creative thinking into young impressionable minds, school kids and local curious learners, and within their regional language.Her touch of authenticity and humble rootedness with the stories of her soil, she stands tall and class apart, as a next-door storyteller, that will always greet you with a smile and a powerful interaction.

We spoke on:✅Space Education: Space Stories to transform kids into Scientists✅ISRO, Chandrayaan & Inspiring the Next Generation Scientists✅Pokhran's Heroes & Homi Bhabha's Forgotten Museum✅From Smiling Buddha to Operation Sindoor✅ISRO vs NASA, Pokhran's CIA Trick & India's Nuclear Heroes✅Valentina to Valentina: Women of SpaceTime Stamps:00:00 - Welcome to Manastu Space Podcast #901:10 - Meet Miss Ruchira Sawant: India's Leading Space Educator & Science Communicator04:50 - How Reading Came Naturally & Impact of 'Tottochan: The Little Girl at the Window'06:45 - Wings of Fire: Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam's Influence on Space Dreams07:45 - Saamana & Power of Regional Storytelling09:00 - Free Thinking & Formative Education in Science Labs10:15 - India's Nuclear Programme & Our Legendary Scientists11:25 - ISRO vs NASA: Real Comparison Nobody Talks About12:20 - Paramanu: Celebrating Pokhran's Unsung Heroes Through Cinema14:18 - Dr. Gopal Kaushik: India's Real-Life James Bond you've never heard15:15 - Military & Scientists Collaborated for Nuclear Missions16:26 - Operation Smiling Buddha (1974) & Pokhran II: How India Tricked CIA by Playing Cricket17:25 - Satellite Blind Spots: The Strategic Leverage India Used18:40 - Stars Behind Pokhran II & The Famous 'Curd Rice' Story20:53 - Tragedy of Homi Bhabha's Museum: A National Shame22:05 - Valentina Tereshkova: The First Woman in Space & Her Legacy23:05 - How World War II Gave Birth to the Space Program24:15 - The Emotional Letter from 'Valentina to Valentina'25:45 - Why Space Stories Matter & Their Transformative Impact on Kids27:40 - Space Race, International Geophysical Year & Seeing 'Two Sides of the Moon'29:00 - Birth of the Satellite Idea: How It All Started30:00 - Humankind: A Hopeful History & Yuval Noah Harari's Vision31:00 - Marooned: When WW2 Enemies Became Space Brothers33:00 - Historic Apollo-Soyuz Mission (1975): Cold War's First Thaw34:30 - Irreplaceable Power of an Original Creative Thought35:10 - Indian Space Programme Insights with Dr. Kasturi Rangan37:35 - Why Chandrayaan Missions Were Absolutely Necessary for India's Future39:00 - "Hope Is a Good Thing, and No Good Thing Ever Dies" 🌍 Follow Manastu Space🔹Website: https://www.manastuspace.com/ 🔹LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/manastu-space/ 🔹Twitter/X: https://x.com/ManastuSpace 🔹Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manastuspace/ 📲Follow Ruchira Sawant🔗LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruchira-sawant-602401ba/🎙️Follow the Host - Raj Shrivastava 🔗LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raj-shrivastava-7656331a0/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenamezraj/ 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThenamezRAJ/podcasts🚀 The Manastu Space Podcast is India’s first in-house podcast by a space organization, bringing you deep-dive conversations with space-tech leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and thinkers shaping the future of space and deep tech.Be a part of Manastu's community, where propulsioning the greener way, we make space-talks cool and indeed build the knowledge access to 'space for all mankind!🔔Do like, share, and subscribe.For Enquiries: raj.shrivastava@manastuspace.com

From the Cold War Space Race to India’s Nuclear Power Secrets, this episode of the Manastu Space Podcast is a mind-bending journey through space secrets, nuclear science, political espionage and unspoken truths.Hosted by Raj Shrivastava, featuring the legendary Srinivas Laxman, veteran space journalist and son of R.K. Laxman, this episode reveals how India rose from humble beginnings to a global space and nuclear power.🌙 Moon Landing: Fake or Real?🇮🇳 Saare Jahan Se Accha and Mission Majnu: Netflix Specials🛰️ ISRO to Axiom-4: India’s leap into global space collaboration ⚛️ Inside BARC & Operation Shakti: What really happened in Pokhran💣 Indira Gandhi’s secret plan to bomb Pakistan’s nuclear site👩‍🚀 Kalpana Chawla & Sunita Williams: Real-life stories NASA won’t tell you🧬 APJ Abdul Kalam, R. Chidambaram & The Common Man on Mars✍️ R.K. Laxman’s last cartoon — and its beautiful connection to ISRO00:00 – Moon Landing: Fake or Real? 2:28 – Meeting and knowing Rakesh Sharma 3:21 – First Indian Man to go to Space 4:02 – Ravish Malhotra vs Rakesh Sharma 4:40 – Saare Jahan Se Accha - Netflix Series5:20 – Shubhanshu Shukla x Axiom-4 Mission 6:20 – Titan X Rakesh Sharma 7:35 – Meeting Sunita Williams and speaking to Kalpana Chawla 8:11 – Kalpana Chawla’s first mission controversy with NASA10:45 – Sunita Williams rescue mission back to earth11:11 – Space X Dragon Crew vs Boeing Starliner11:35 – Why is NASA’s budget being cut? 12:00 – Chinese Space Station 12:40 – Bharatiya Antariksha Station and ISRO's Moon Mission13:30 – NASA’s Moon Landing, giant leap or giant lie? 15:49 – (Nuclear – Gas- Electrical) Propulsion 17:10 – NISAR 18:35 – Legacy from INCOSPAR to ISRO 20:10 – ISRO during Operation Sindoor and Axiom-4 Launch 21:00 – Apollo 13: The Most Successful Failure 22:20 – Richard Phillips Feynman: The Man behind the Manhattan Project’s Atomic Bomb23:35 – Father of Pakistan's atomic weapons program 24:20 – Indira Gandhi’s plan to bomb Pakistan Nuclear Facility, in Kahuta 25:15 – Munir Khan vs Raja Ramanna: Battle of the atomic minds26:54 – Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran 27:30 – When Israeli Air Force Jets bombed Iraqi reactors 28:15 – When Mrs. Indira Gandhi was presented with the Nuclear Bomb in Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) 30:00 - Smiling Buddha (1974) and Operation Shakti (1998) Nuclear Tests 31:30 – Dr. R Chidambaram; key architect of India's nuclear weapons program 32:18 – Fine tuning the nuclear bomb in a wedding ceremony 37:55 – Nuclear issue is the main issue 38:25 – When a girl from Chennai received a letter from Robert Oppenheimer 39:08 – The Atomic Rendezvous 41:55 – ‘Common man on Mars’ by Sir R.K Laxman 45:30 – Sending the cartoon print to ISRO Campus 45:48 – The Last Common Man 46:40 – Amazing stories of Indian Space and Nuclear legacy 47:10 – The Celestial Rendezvous48:00 – Remembering APJ Abdul Kalam 🌍 Follow Manastu Space🔹 Website: https://www.manastuspace.com/ 🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/manastu-space/ 🔹 Twitter/X: https://x.com/ManastuSpace 🔹 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manastuspace/ 📲Follow Srinivas Laxman🔗LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/srinivas-laxman-75a6432a/?originalSubdomain=in🎙️Follow the Host - Raj Shrivastava 🔗LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raj-shrivastava-7656331a0/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenamezraj/ 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThenamezRAJ/podcasts🚀 The Manastu Space Podcast is India’s first in-house podcast by a space organization, bringing you deep-dive conversations with space-tech leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and thinkers shaping the future of space and deep tech. 🛰 Be a part of Manastu's community, where propulsioning the greener way, we make space-talks cool and indeed build the knowledge access to 'space for all mankind!🔔Do like, share, and subscribe - leave your take in comments.

For Enquiries: raj.shrivastava@manastuspace.com