Research on for reusable launch vehicle

[LOGICAL BOSSS]

India’s space research mission is now looking to double the capacity of communication satellites and improve reusable launch vehicle technology, said K Radhakrishnan, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at a function organized by the Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (Yashada) on Saturday.

“We are looking at materials that can withstand high temperature and speed, and miniaturizing electronic components. We need to reduce the satellite’s weight, but we need high power. We are also looking at Astrobiology,” said Radhakrishnan.

He also spoke about the need for fresh ideas from people who know how to formulate new techniques and not something derived from existing concepts. Radhakrishnan further stated that ISRO is also looking at manned missions. Talking about Chandrayaan 2, he said that both the rover and lander will be made indigenously.

Speaking of the change in space missions around the world over the years, he said that from the race to be in space and the competitiveness during the Cold War-era, countries have realized the importance of cooperation. This has also reduced the cost of space exploration.

Radhakrishnan went on to talk about the major role industries are playing in space exploration and mentioned how some start-ups are trying to make use of space exploration on their own.

He underlined a key difference between space missions by other countries and local efforts stating that, for India, a mission is just about space applications which can used for developing the nation and not to show one country’s might over the other.

Retorting to critics who have raised questions about using crores of rupees on space exploration in a country that faces a lot of poverty, Radhakrishnan said that it was the 48-hour advance warning of the cyclone alert in Odisha by a satellite and its consequence analysis by Indian Meteorological Department, that led to four lakh lives being saved as the entire population was evacuated in time.Pune: Doubling the capacity of communication satellite, improving reusable launch vehicle technology are the areas where India’s space research mission is now looking at, said K Radhakrishnan, former chairman Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He was talking at a function in the city organized at Yashada on Saturday.