Hyderabad: Isro chairman Dr V. Narayanan, said the world was increasingly looking to India for its achievements in space technology as he elaborated on the Indian Space Research Organisation’s ambitious upcoming projects, including the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission, Samudrayaan, deep ocean mission, and planned missions to Venus and Mars.
Dr Narayanan, also the secretary, department of space, spoke about the preparations for a future manned Moon mission and several other pathbreaking initiatives.
Dr Narayanan highlighted the success of the Chandrayaan missions and shared that Isro had achieved 120 significant milestones in the current year. He also discussed the Spadex (space docking experiment) and said the late space scientist Dr U.R. Rao was the inspiration in advancing cryogenic propulsion technology.
He recalled Isro’s world record of launching 100 satellites in a single rocket, a feat that greatly enhanced its global commercial presence.
Dr Narayanan was in city to receive the G.P. Birla Memorial Award, presented by Nirmala Birla, chairperson of the G.P. Birla Archaeological, Astronomical and Scientific Institute. The event was attended by engineering and science students.
He emphasised the transformative power of technology and comparing the past challenge of booking a ‘trunk call’ to speak those living in another city to the current capability of communicating with space stations.
The Isro chief explained how Isro’s data and innovations were directly benefiting common citizens. Fishermen are now aided by improved communication systems, accurate weather alerts, and better resource management, all made possible through Isro’s remote sensing technologies. He also noted Isro’s recent achievement in accurately placing a satellite at the Earth’s L1 point in a single attempt.
After the session, several engineering students expressed a newfound interest in contributing to India’s space programme. A student from JNTU shared that while many peers previously aimed for careers in computer software for its lucrative opportunities, Dr Narayanan’s lecture was an eye-opener, inspiring them to consider a future in space research.
