Indian Space Programme Highly Indigenous: SHAR Director
Introduction
India has made remarkable strides achieving 98 per cent indigenisation in launch vehicle technology and 60-70 per cent in satellite technology, according to M.Y.S. Prasad, Director of Sathish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR at Sriharikota.
He was talking to reporters here on Thursday after delivering the convocation address at JNTU-Kakinada.
He spoke about the role of engineers as technology leaders.
HEAVY DEMAND
He said there was heavy demand for communication satellites in the domestic market and the number of transponders, presently 200, would have to be doubled in the next five years.
He said India would require at least 500 transponders.
In remote sensing technology also, the country achieved great progress and at present “India holds 15 per cent of the market share in the world for remote sensing imagery. We are also launching satellites for other countries. We have launched a French satellite and we will launch another,” he said.
Referring to space debris posing threat to satellites, he said he had represented India at the UN panel on the issue and opposed the move of the developed countries to bring about some sort of compulsory measures and international inspections to check the problem.
GUIDELINES
However, certain space debris mitigation guidelines had been formulated under which all countries would have to take some steps to curb the problem.
They would have to sacrifice roughly three months of functional time of a satellite to address the problem.
He said the work of representing India at the international panel had given him great satisfaction.
PRASAD SAID TWO MORE LAUNCHES WERE SCHEDULED FROM SRIHARIKOTA – PSLV C-22 ON JULY 1 AND GSLV IN THE LAST WEEK OF JULY OR FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST.
HE SAID THERE WAS A PROPOSAL TO ADD ONE MORE LAUNCHING PAD AT SRIHARIKOTA STATION IN ADDITION TO THE EXISTING TWO.
HE SAID 500-600 TONNES OF PROPELLANT WAS ALSO BEING MANUFACTURED AT SRIHARIKOTA PER ANNUM.
EARLIER, ADDRESSING STUDENTS AT JNTU-K, HE SAID “YOU SHOULD NOT THINK OF YOURSELVES AS A PRIVILEGED LOT AND YOU SHOULD MAKE ALL EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE LOT OF THE POORER SECTIONS’’.
JNTU–K VICE-CHANCELLOR G.TULASI RAM DAS PRESENTED THE REPORT.
PRASAD, WHO GRADUATED IN ENGINEERING FROM THE SAME COLLEGE IN 1974 WAS GIVEN A HONORARY DOCTORATE.
Source
The Hindu Business Line, June 20, 2013
