The desire to probe the mysteries of nature and the universe is as old as the universe itself. It is this spirit of inquiry that has propelled humankind towards progress. This was understood very early on by our founding fathers, and they went out of their way to promote a scientific temper among our youth.
For one, it is completely indigenous, adapted to suit our needs and conditions. It has achieved self-reliance in the areas of design and development of satellites, launch vehicles and provision of space based services to the people. Indigenously developed satellite systems for earth observations and communications have become the mainstay of our space infrastructure.
Secondly, we have proved all those wrong who claimed that a space programme is a luxury that developing nations cannot afford. Our space programme has, in fact, helped us to leapfrog in technology and bring significant social, economic and industrial transformation to the most remote areas. With relatively modest financial outlays, we have put in place a space infrastructure that touches every aspect of an ordinary citizen’s life. It has reduced uncertainties and ignorance, and shrunk time and distance. It has brought Indians closer to each other than we have ever been.
Thirdly, our programme has generated widespread spin-offs in other fields of science and technology and in industry. ISRO has played a leadership role in the indigenization of strategic materials, increase in the level of technological skills and encouragement of a culture of partnership between government and the private sector.
Lastly, our space programme has earned international repute. We have achieved global standards in space technology and its applications. Recently, a visiting dignitary told me how impressed all the ASEAN countries were with our capabilities, and want to expand their cooperation with us in the field of space. I felt very proud to hear this.
The Indian National Satellite System is one of the largest constellations of communication satellites in the Asia Pacific region. Indian Remote Sensing satellites provide high resolution imaging capability not only over India, but also other parts of the globe. Our launch capabilities are recognised globally. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle has had sixteen successful flights and put forty four satellites in orbit, twenty five of which belong to foreign parties. India has emerged as a world leader in building versatile satellites, such as the recently launched OCEANSAT-2.
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