New Delhi: From receiving a tiny rocket from the United States six decades ago to preparing to launch a massive American-built communication satellite, India’s space journey has come full circle, ISRO Chairman and Department of Space Secretary V. Narayanan said on 10 August.
Speaking at the 21st Convocation of SRM Institute of Science and Technology in Kattankulathur, near Chennai, where he was conferred an honorary Doctor of Science degree by Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, Narayanan traced ISRO’s humble beginnings.
He recalled that the Indian space programme began in 1963 with a small US-supplied rocket launched on 21 November that year, when India was several years behind advanced spacefaring nations.
Highlighting milestones in Indo-US space cooperation, Narayanan noted that in 1975, ISRO used satellite data from the US to demonstrate ‘mass communication’ by installing 2,400 television sets across as many villages in six states.
Fast forward to 30 July this year, ISRO successfully launched the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission aboard its GSLV-F16, carrying the world’s costliest Earth observation satellite with payload contributions from both nations. NASA, he said, lauded the precision of the launch.
“In another couple of months, the same country that once gave us a tiny rocket will see us launch its 6,500 kg communication satellite from Indian soil using our own launcher,” Narayanan remarked, calling it a significant leap in capabilities.
Over the past 50 years, India has moved from having no satellite technology to launching 433 satellites for 34 countries, underscoring ISRO’s transformation into a leading global space player.
