Isro felicitates former chiefs in Nair's absence

Barring the conspicuous absence of former Chairman G Madhavan Nair, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) celebrated its 40th anniversary on Friday at the Space Centre in Bangalore.

The Organisation felicitated the founding chairman Dr U R Rao, former chairman Dr Kasturirangan and other dignitaries on the occasion. In the entire programme Nair’s name was mentioned just once by T K Alex, the Director for ISAC, during his remembrance of all those who held the post of chairman of ISRO.

When asked about Nair’s absence, Alex and ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said: “He (Nair) had sent us a message that he will be out of Bangalore. We had sent him an invite.”
Nair had blamed Radhakrishnan for misleading the government on the controversial Antrix-Devas deal which led to the former ISRO chairman being blacklisted in the country.

Meanwhile, during the function, the former chairmen and ISRO officials recalled the best and worst days in their organisation.

The institution, started in an industrial shed in Peenya, was shifted to its present main campus at HAL Airport Road in the 1980s. The Satellite Integration and Test Establishment (ISITE) was established in 2006 near Marathahalli for integration and testing of large, high power communication spacecraft. Apart from this, the Space Research Facility (SRF) was also built to augment the assembly and integration capabilities.

The day also marked the release of the first images received from RISAT.