Now Reading: Former ISRO chief says space programme changed lives of common people
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Former ISRO chief says space programme changed lives of common people
Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar said on Monday that the achievements of India's space programme over several decades have brought significant changes to the lives of common…
Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar said on Monday that the achievements of India's space programme over several decades have brought significant changes to the lives of common people. Speaking at a programme titled 'Nanu Vijnani' (I Am a Scientist) organised by the Shivamogga Zilla Panchayat for gram panchayat librarians, he traced the programme's impact back to the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) in 1975-76, which used a US satellite to reach over 2,400 villages.
Kiran Kumar highlighted that satellite launches have improved communication technology, helped minimise cyclone damage through satellite imagery, and benefited fishermen via Oceansat satellites that provide precise data to locate fish. He also noted recent milestones including ISRO's collaboration with NASA to launch a Synthetic Aperture Radar last year, and US company BlueBird partnering with ISRO to launch its satellite. Zilla Panchayat CEO N. Hemanth said the programme aimed to promote scientific temper in rural areas, recalling an earlier workshop where librarians built 40 telescopes.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The speech comes as ISRO transitions toward greater private-sector participation and international collaboration under the Indian Space Policy 2023. The reference to BlueBird and NASA partnerships underscores how foreign entities now rely on ISRO's launch capabilities, a shift from the SITE era when India depended on US hardware. The programme targeting gram panchayat librarians is notable: with 2.5 lakh panchayats nationwide, training local librarians as science communicators could prove more scalable than top-down awareness campaigns. The next milestone to watch is ISRO's planned human spaceflight mission Gaganyaan, expected no earlier than 2026, which would further validate India's growing space credentials.
Source: thehindu.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
