ISRO to launch GSLV Mark-III soon

NEW DELHI: After putting a record 104 satellites into orbit with a single launch, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is now preparing to launch Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mark-III) in few months.

This was revealed by former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair while delivering the inaugural address at the 3rd ORF-Kalpana Chawla Annual Space Policy Dialogue being organised by key think tank Observer Research Foundation here from February 16 to 18.

Noting that India is yet to make any significant progress in the aviation sector, Mr. Nair suggested setting up an Integrated Space Development Agency for helping build civil aviation vehicles.

Nair, who was also the president of the International Academy of Astronautics, said ISRO has been able to make great progress and deliver according to schedules, making the country proud. “If we can do so well in rockets and satellites, why not in the aviation sector?” he asked, adding that he was sure that India will be able to build aviation vehicles, provided there was political will and determination.

“ISRO has once again done a great job. I am proud to stand before you today, a day after it put a record 104 satellites into orbit with a single launch,” Mr Nair said adding India would be launching Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mark-III) in few months.

However, he said India should now aim at much bigger targets, like tapping helium 3 from planets, manned Moon and Mars Mission and developing aircrafts. He was sure that we have the capacity and skill to develop such technologies.

He drew the attention to the increasing debris in outerspace and the need for international efforts to remove such debris which is becoming a danger.

Talking about the benefits of our advances in the space in other spheres,

Nair praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his efforts in using social aspects extensively and pushing others ministers to do so.

Nair said the reason for the failure of flight, in which Indian-origin US astronaut Kalpana Chawla died, was the human error and not an engineering problem. He narrated how such human mistakes had twice resulted in failures of launch during his career as well.

“We learnt from each mistakes and that is what makes ISRO stands out,” he remarked, saying ISRO developed technologies on its own and did not copy from anywhere.

Saying the government alone cannot do everything, Nair said what is needed is private-public partnership in this field as well.

Nair on the occasion also released the book ‘Space India 2.0: Commerce, Policy, Security and Governance Perspectives’, authored by Dr Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Head of ORF’s Space and Nuclear Initiative, and Narayan Prasad, Co-Founder of Dhruva Space.

Noting that India has come a long way to become one of the key actors in outer space, ORF Director Sunjoy Joshi impressed on the need for extending the benefits of technology right down to the bottom of the pyramid, developing space security doctrine, defence space agency, expansion of Integrated Space Cell and evolution of a comprehensive space policy.

With nano satellites with limited lives are going to make increasingly congested, Joshi said we will need new global frameworks and rules and norms so that space is efficiently utilised and not cluttered and potential of space for all nations is preserved and protected.

“India’s stand has always favoured rules that are democratic and non-discriminatory and outer space is no exception,” Joshi said.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Technical Adviser Yasushi Horikawa stressed the urgent need for creating some kind of international mechanism to clean outerspace of debris.

Prof. Horikawa said a consensus for final best practices should be arrived at towards 2018 for better outerspace utilisation for all space-faring countries.

The ORF-Kalpana Chawla Space Policy Dialogue is having sessions on 'Space Finance', 'Transponder Capacity for Broadcasting and Broadband over India', 'Collective Governance of the Global Commons', 'Derivatives Space-scoping the Downstream Applications', 'Emerging Space Actors', 'Making the Case for India's Space Policy', 'A New Frontier: Boosting India's Military Presence in Outer Space' and 'Space Sustainability and Global Governance'.

(Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com)

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