Dr K. Sivan, who was recently given a one-year extension as the head of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has his hands full, with India fast-tracking its space programmes delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Sivan’s priorities this year are to implement space reforms and fasttrack the Gaganyaan and the Chandrayaan-3 missions. In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, he talks about ISRO’s priority programmes, international collaborations and also about how private players can play a more meaningful role in India’s space programme.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q/ What are your priorities after the pandemic-hit 2020?
A/ Our highest priority is to implement space reforms. We are establishing IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) for which we are accepting applications. We are also interacting with the industry. Our main space mission this year will be Gaganyaan, the work for which is moving fast, and Chandrayaan-3, for which we have concluded the configuration. We also have the science mission, Aditya-L1. Other projects such as [the radar imaging satellite] RISAT-1A are also moving ahead. In the next couple of months, we expect to finish the development of our Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). We are also concentrating on new technologies such as electric propulsion and indigenisation in the satellite area. For the Aditya-L1 mission, we are waiting for the payload to be developed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. We hope to schedule it by the end of 2021.
Q/ What is the current status of astronaut training for the Gaganyaan mission?
This story is from the February 07, 2021 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 07, 2021 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Trump And The Crisis Of Liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
