India has launched 424 foreign satellites on its space ships, says Minister
Minister of State for Science and Technology and Department of Space Dr Jitendra Singh sees Chandrayaan-3 opening up new Moon vistas for the world which looks at India’s latest spacecraft with great anticipation, expectation and hope.
Indian Space Research Organization is to launch Chandrayaan-3 on 14 July 2023. ISRO, established in 1969, continues India’s space exploration programme which began in 1962 with the first rocket launch in 1963.
“The whole world looks up to Chandrayaan 3 with great anticipation, expectation and hope, and at the same time waits for it to uncover many more new features and mysteries of the Moon and the universe,” said the Minister in an interview with Economic Times which was released by the Department of Space on 11 July 2023.
He recapped that India’s earlier mission, Chandrayaan-1, had thrown up new light on various aspects of the moon as it brought before the world for the first time the evidence of the presence of water on the surface of the moon.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that Chandrayaan-3 mission signals March to the Moon one step closer and also demonstrates the fact that India is not lagging behind other countries so far as exploration of the moon is concerned.
The unique feature of this mission is that it will not only observe the Moon from the Moon but will also see Earth from the Moon, thus making India part of the world’s elite club of three or four nations, said the Minister.
Dr Jitendra Singh also pointed out that during the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States, it became clear that America treats India as an equal partner and collaborator in space exploration.
He said NASA is today soliciting India’s astronauts and the Artemis Accord, where India is also one of the signatories, is also proof of India’s great Space march.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that India’s space technology is not only confined to launching rockets, but has great implications for sectoral development.
Dr Jitendra Singh said India has demonstrated the application potential of space technology during 6 decades of Indian space programme.
He said, today, space has touched all walks of human life, including science & technology, telecommunication, agriculture, education, health, rural development, disaster warning & mitigation, studying climate change, navigation, defence & governance to name a few.
Dr Jitendra Singh said in the next 25 years of Amrit Kaal, India’s ascent has begun through Space and the Space economy will be an important pillar of overall economic development in future.
India has launched 424 foreign satellites launched on its space shuttles and earned US$174 million as well as Euro256 million.
Responding to a question, he pointed out that Space technology has become a medium of instruction and having contributed significantly in disciplines like geophysics, telemedicine.
“Today, education is also being acquired through Space technology via wifi,” he said.
The days of working in silos are over. For greater results, public private partnership is imperative, not only at the national level but also at the international level, he underlined. Fiinews.com
