Space missions mark nation’s confidence, soft power, says URSC chief

Bengaluru: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is lining up missions that are aimed at instilling collective confidence in the nation’s competencies, M Sankaran, distinguished scientist at ISRO and Director, U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), said here on Tuesday.

The priorities in the 1960s – when India’s space programme took off even as the young country struggled with issues including famines and poverty – have changed and space missions now are also statements of power, Sankaran said. He was speaking at the inaugural session of a workshop on National Space Day hosted by IISc.

Till the late 1990s, ISRO’s efforts were directed toward the effective management of problems like droughts and cyclones, and the development of communication tools. The high-stakes missions including Chandrayaan took shape when India progressed as an economy and started expanding its military and technological might.

“The Government of India has given us 2035 as the target year to establish the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, the first module of which is scheduled for launch in 2028. By 2040, we aim to land an Indian on the moon. These missions are not just about technology, they denote a confidence about doing what we want to do, at the time of our choice,” he said.

Sankaran traced the evolution of ISRO’s engagement with the domain of climate – from the very high resolution radiometers of the 1980s to the upcoming NISAR (NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission which will track changes in the earth’s ecosystems, in high resolution across vast swathes.

The URSC Director said National Space Day – which commemorates the landing of Chandrayaan-3 near the lunar south pole, on August 23, 2023 – was not only about past laurels and should inspire greater achievements in space.

The one-day workshop was organised by the state Water Resources Department, the National Hydrology Project (NHP), and the Interdisciplinary Centre for Water Research, IISc.

The sessions at the workshop covered topics including applications of space technology in NHP, groundwater management and monitoring of irrigation projects, and the use of spatial data in hydrological analysis.