A great achievement 

 On 12^th July when I woke up in the morning, there was the most important news in the news channels was the PSLV C15 lunches five satellites. It was successfully placed into orbit remote sensing satellite CARTOSAT 2B and four other satellites after a perfect lift off from the space port in Sriharikota, A.P. The PSLV launch assumes significance as it comes about three months after ISRO suffered a major setback on April 15 when the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D3), which was launched using an Indian-designed and built cryogenic engine for the first time, failed and fell into the Bay of Bengal. It was carrying CARTOSAT -2B which is an advanced remote sensing satellite built by ISRO. This is the latest in the Indian remote sensing satellite series and the 17th in this series. Cartosat-2B is mainly intended to augment remote sensing data services to the users of multiple spot scene imagery with 0.8 metre spatial resolution and 9.6 km swath in the panchromatic. Cartosat-2 and 2A, two Indian remote sensing satellites in orbit, are currently providing such services. The multiple spot scene imagery sent by Cartosat-2B camera would also be useful for village/cadastral level resource assessment and mapping, detailed urban and infrastructure planning and development, transportation system planning, preparation of large-scale cartographic maps, preparation of micro watershed development plans and monitoring of development works of village.

Back in 1969 when Indian Space research organization was established, some critics said that India’s space exploration is unjustifiable because of the high levels of poverty and lack of basic services in the country. Dr. Sarabhai considered as the “Father of the Indian space research program said, 

“There are some who question the relevance of the space activities in a developing nation. To us, there is no ambiguity of purpose, we do not have the fantasy of competing with the economically advanced nations in the exploration of the Moon or the planets or manned space flight. But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally and in the community of nations, we must be second to the real problems of man and the society”.

ISRO replied to the critics during 1960s’ and 1970s’. India initiated its own launch vehicle program. During the first phase the country successfully developed a sounding rockets program and by the 1980s’, research had yielded the SLV-3 and the more advanced ASLV to today’s modern PSLV and GSLV technologies, INSAT and IRS series, OCENSAT to Chandrayan. 

As we all know that INSAT is the largest domestic communication system in the Asia Pacific Region to specify telecom, broadcasting and meteorology search and rescue needs of India.

Back in 1969 did any one imagine about Chandrayan? Or one day this Chandrayan along with NASA’s LRO played a major role in discovering the existence of water on the Moon?

India’s space research has come a long way since it was established. India’s economic progress has made it’s space program more visible and active as the country aims for greater self- reliance in space technology. Today we are capable enough to compete with the other developing countries in the world in the space research program.

It is indeed a great achievement.