INDIA IS TOTALLY SELF-RELIANT IN SPACE AT A LOW COST: K.SIVAN TECHNOLOGIES

Ex-ISRO Chairman K. Sivan says India has three bars of reliable launch vehicles, PSLV, GSLV, and GSLV Mk III.

- ANMOL NATH BALI

In an extensive conversation with The Sunday Guardian, van discussed India's space programme's success story and other issues. Excerpts:

Q: What are the reasons behind India's leap in the space sector?

A: The Indian space programme started in the 1960s with the unique and noble vision of providing space-based services to the common man of the country. It was an innovative idea that for a country like India with its immense size and diversity, space technology is the only platform for fast-track development. This is because nearly 75-80% of the population is rural mass and resides in remote, unserved and underserved areas. In order to make India a developed country, it is possible only if the benefits of advanced technologies reach the doorsteps of this higher mass and space technology is being used as the tool to do the task. At the same time, to ensure uninterrupted services to the common man at a very low cost, it is essential that the required technologies be developed indigenously.

With this vision, India had developed all the launch vehicle technologies, including hightechnology of cryogenic engines, advanced microwave sensing satellites, high throughput communication satellites, innovative space science missions, unique navigation satellite constellation and the required ground systems, all indigenously designed, realized at very low cost.

Now, India has three bars of highly reliable launch vehicles, namely, PSLV, GSLV, and GSLV Mk III, ferrying our advanced satellites into space for national development and applications. These advanced low-satellites provide low-cost services in all the areas of safety, security and quality of life for every common man.