logo
Lift the veil, abandon Soviet-era approach. Indian science community wants ISRO to up its PR game

Lift the veil, abandon Soviet-era approach. Indian science community wants ISRO to up its PR game

The Print5 days ago
'A kid growing in India learns about NASA (US-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration) before it does ISRO because NASA puts so much effort into taking its work to its citizens and the public, from the smallest of things to the biggest,' 'Gareeb Scientist' said in a post on Tuesday. Since then, at least 11,000 people have viewed it.
He is part of a digital war. The aim is to awaken the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from its 55-year-old slumber by demanding better public outreach and engagement by the space agency around its space missions and technology development.
New Delhi: A science communicator and space enthusiast on social media under the pseudonym 'Gareeb Scientist' sat determined behind his keyboard Tuesday. As soon as the clock struck one, he hit enter on a flurry of posts on X, with the hashtag, 'ISROfixyourPR'.
The Indian science community is currently waging a war against the veil around ISRO-supported operations, fighting with memes, personal anecdotes and a carefully crafted list of its work, which has remained hidden from public discourse.
Many Indian social media accounts, which dedicatedly post space updates from ISRO, said the campaign started with the aim to highlight the lack of PR from the space agency. The issue also extended to big-ticket missions, such as the recent partnership between ISRO and US-based Axiom Space to jointly send Indian Air Force group captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS).
Experts said that the visibility of ISRO missions had improved over the last decade. However, they added, the burden of information dissemination remained limited to media houses and independent science communicators, who often obtained information outside of official statements.
Radha Krishna Kavuluru, a space technology expert and former ISRO scientist, said ISRO, in the coming years, would conduct some inspiring missions that could inspire an entire generation of future space scientists.
Kavuluru said that maximum public engagement would ensure that the public had an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of ISRO while they witnessed the indigenous scientific advancements.
'Keeping everything behind walls is a tradition of the Soviets. I am sure we are well past that age. Time to inspire and talk the walk,' Kavuluru told ThePrint.
Also Read: ISRO commercial arm invites private players to build LVM3 rocket that delivered Chandrayaan mission
Silence around recent missions
On 25 June, IAF group captain Shubhanshu Shukla kicked off his journey to the ISS as a member of the US-run Axiom-4 mission. He became the first Indian to set foot on the ISS, and after Rakesh Sharma, the second Indian to travel to space.
However, the buzz around the mission was limited to newspaper front pages and TV screens. The official social media pages of ISRO stayed content with reposting updates from the Union Minister of Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh.
Between the 1 June Axiom-4 launch and its 15 July return to Earth, ISRO made 24 posts on its X account about the Axiom-4 mission, including 19 reposts of posts by the science minister, the Prime Minister's Office, or the Public Information Bureau. The remaining five posts on the ISRO X account informed about the multiple postponements of the launch and the technical faults that SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket experienced.
In the same period, NASA, through its various X handles, did a run-up to the launch with at least one post per day, while reposting engagement posts by Axiom Space and SpaceX. The US space agency, in partnership with Axiom Space, organised interaction sessions with the astronauts and released not only individual profile films for each but also infographics for the rocket launch and space capsule travel trajectory, among other actions.
More recently, updates on missions, such as the demonstration of the advanced technology behind rendezvous, docking, and undocking of a spacecraft in space—SpaDeX—and the upcoming one-of-a-kind NASA-ISRO SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) Mission or NISAR, a joint Earth observation mission, have been few and far in between.
On Monday, during the announcement of the NISAR launch date, ISRO's PR was limited to a post on X, as NASA held a formal press conference led by the team that will undertake the mission from the US space agency's end. The team members answered all media questions on all aspects of the mission. However, ISRO was not part of the press conference.
Vikranth Jonna, a 22-year-old engineer with Hyderabad-based space tech startup Dhruva Space, listed the 'crazy cool' work ISRO has done for the mission. 'ISRO is currently building methalox engines, quantum communications, human spaceflight, reusable rockets, two landers to the Moon, a mission to Venus and a lander to Mars,' Jonna said.
'Give us more opportunities to appreciate our scientists and engineers. Show us your glory,' he added.
ISRO refused to respond to ThePrint's request for a response to the ongoing social media campaign. A senior scientist confirmed to ThePrint that ISRO had 'gotten better' in its PR game but accepted that compared to its counterparts, such as NASA or European Space Agency (ESA), there is a long way to go.
'Of course, there is always room for improvement. But you need to acknowledge that the space sector in India has only started opening up, and some projects still need to operate with secrecy,' the scientist said.
Also Read: Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka to serve as 'manufacturing hubs' for India's homegrown space dreams
Global competition
From photos of astronauts working on the ISS and open-source data from active satellites to an easy-to-understand space glossary, the space PR game of NASA and its laboratories is top-class.
Apart from its active presence, all over social media, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X, NASA has also been engaging with the general public through its programmes, such as the 'Get involved with NASA', where they invite members of the public to contribute their time and expertise to advancing research and solving problems, as well as potentially winning prizes as a result of their work.
Its 'Citizen Science' project is open to the public all over the world and aims to collaborate with volunteers to promote discoveries.
'More than 450 NASA citizen scientists have been [so far] named as co-authors on refereed scientific publications,' the NASA website reads.
Over the last few years, the ESA, China National Space Administration and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency have also caught on. The agencies realised the global space domain was not only about what happened inside the laboratories, but that a significant portion of their space programme success also depended on how they presented themselves. For instance, the Japanese agency has been organising open houses, town meetings and laboratory tours to help promote the work happening at those sites.
Mobilising interest in space
When his 16-year-old nephew asked Kavuluru where he could find the link to a documentary on the ISRO Astrosat and Aditya-L1 missions—something on the lines of NASA's 'Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey' and 'Apollo-11'—the former ISRO scientist was hit with a sensation of embarrassment.
'He wanted to study how ISRO does deep space missions. I had no response because no such documentaries exist … Why is this the case? When we have done such complex missions and are observing the Sun and the stars, shouldn't Indian students have the luxury to observe them too?' Kavuluru asked.
While ISRO missions remain under the shadows of mystery, the movie, as well as the OTT industry, has so far been cashing in on the public appetite for India's space success story. The Indian audiences have accepted 'Mission Mangal', 'Rocket Boys', 'Rocketry—The Nambi Effect', and 'Mission over Mars' with rave reviews. Be it Akshay Kumar portraying space pioneer Rakesh Dhawan, or R. Madhavan acting as senior scientist Nambi Narayanan—they have happily lapped it all up, with a feeling of pride.
Now, they need an opportunity to applaud their real heroes.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
Also Read: Russian rocket takes off with US astronaut on board, Putin's envoy hails joint space effort
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Cosmologists flock to city for summit
Cosmologists flock to city for summit

Time of India

time27 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Cosmologists flock to city for summit

Chennai: About 100 cosmologists and researchers from renowned institutions across the country will gather at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc) in the city to discuss the evolution of universe from July 28 to Aug 1. The first edition of Cosmic Connections will explore the universe from its earliest instants to its evolution into the large-scale structure. The discussions will cover the early universe (when the age of the universe was less than 400,000 years), the intermediate universe (between 400,000 years to one billion years), and the late universe (more than one billion years). "The main aim of the meeting is to bring together the researchers working in cosmology in the country. It will also give a platform for early-career researchers and students," said Dhiraj Kumar Hazra, faculty member of IMSc and convener of the meeting. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai The five-day programme will feature 70 full-length talks on topics such as inflation, primordial gravitational waves, cosmic microwave background (CMB), quantum fluctuations, cosmic reionization, formation of galaxies during cosmic dawn, and galaxy evolution studies using instruments such as the James Webb Space Telescope, LIGO-India and SKA- India projects. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Slonim: Unsold Sofas May Be at Bargain Prices (Prices May Surprise You) Sofas | Search Ads Search Now Undo Sessions will also explore dark matter halo structure, galaxy clustering, and gravitational wave cosmology. "The objective is to foster collaboration within the Indian cosmology community and strengthen the country's participation in major international surveys and future missions," Dhiraj Kumar Hazra added. The meeting will include a discussion session on 'India's Cosmic Odyssey: From Earth to the Edge of the Universe' on July 31. It will focus on India's strategic involvement in current and future cosmology missions and proposals, specifically,

Baba Vanga was right? Scientists claim alien ship larger than Manhattan, moving at 1.3 lakh mph, to attack Earth this Nov
Baba Vanga was right? Scientists claim alien ship larger than Manhattan, moving at 1.3 lakh mph, to attack Earth this Nov

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Baba Vanga was right? Scientists claim alien ship larger than Manhattan, moving at 1.3 lakh mph, to attack Earth this Nov

Legendary Bulgarian mystic Baba Vanga had reportedly predicted that humanity would make contact with aliens in 2025. But recent scientific claims suggest that contact may come sooner — and far more hostile. According to a report published on July 16 on the preprint server arXiv and cited by the New York Post and South West News Service, a team of scientists has warned that an alien spacecraft may be heading toward Earth — potentially launching an attack as early as this November. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Cybersecurity CXO MCA Data Analytics others Technology MBA PGDM Finance Data Science Project Management Product Management Leadership Public Policy Artificial Intelligence Others Design Thinking Digital Marketing Degree Operations Management Healthcare Data Science Management healthcare Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months MIT xPRO CERT-MIT xPRO PGC in Cybersecurity Starts on undefined Get Details The object in question, named 3I/ATLAS, was first detected on July 1 and is racing toward the Sun at over 130,000 miles per hour. Just a day after its discovery, astronomers confirmed that it originated from outside our solar system. Initial observations suggested it might be a comet, roughly 15 miles in diameter — making it even larger than Manhattan. However, in their paper, researchers Avi Loeb, Adam Hibberd, and Adam Crowl from the Initiative for Interstellar Studies propose that 3I/ATLAS might not be a natural object at all, but rather a piece of extraterrestrial spy technology in disguise. Loeb, a Harvard astrophysicist known for his controversial theory that the 2017 object `Oumuamua could have been an alien reconnaissance probe, argues that 3I/ATLAS displays several unusual characteristics — including a unique trajectory and exceptionally high speed. These anomalies, he suggests, could point to an intelligent origin. Live Events In a blog post, Loeb noted that the object's path through the solar system allows it to pass close to Jupiter, Mars, and Venus — an ideal opportunity, he says, for aliens to covertly deploy surveillance 'gadgets' on these planets. What's more concerning is that when 3I/ATLAS reaches its closest point to the Sun (perihelion) in late November, it will temporarily vanish from Earth's view. Loeb suggests this may be a deliberate move to avoid detection by Earth-based telescopes — possibly the moment when alien technology could be dispatched toward our planet. If 3I/ATLAS is indeed a technological artifact, it may support the "dark forest hypothesis" — the idea that intelligent alien civilizations stay hidden to avoid detection by potential threats. Loeb warns that this situation might not just be surveillance, but a precursor to a potential alien attack , urging that "defensive measures" may need to be considered. Whether this object turns out to be a comet or a cosmic Trojan horse, the scientific world — and the public — will be watching closely as November approaches.

ISRO-NASA Joint Satellite NISAR Set For Launch On July 30 From Sriharikota
ISRO-NASA Joint Satellite NISAR Set For Launch On July 30 From Sriharikota

India.com

timean hour ago

  • India.com

ISRO-NASA Joint Satellite NISAR Set For Launch On July 30 From Sriharikota

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday stated that the upcoming launch of NISAR, the first joint Earth observation satellite by ISRO and NASA, will mark a key milestone in Earth observation technology. NISAR will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on July 30 at 17:40 IST. NISAR is the first mission of its kind, jointly developed by ISRO and NASA. It is an L- and S-band, global, microwave imaging mission, with the capability to acquire fully polarimetric and interferometric data, as per an official statement from ISRO. The unique dual-band Synthetic Aperture Radar of NISAR employs the advanced, novel SweepSAR technique, which provides high-resolution and large-swath imagery. NISAR will image the global land and ice-covered surfaces, including islands, sea-ice and selected oceans, every 12 days. The NISAR mission's primary objectives are to study land & ice deformation, land ecosystems, and oceanic regions in areas of common interest to the US and Indian science communities. The joint mission will accomplish multiple tasks, including measuring the woody biomass and its changes, tracking changes in the extent of active crops, understanding the changes in wetlands' extent, and mapping Greenland & Antarctica's ice sheets and the dynamics of sea ice and mountain glaciers. As per the statement, it will also help characterise land surface deformation related to seismicity, volcanism, landslides, and subsidence & uplift associated with changes in subsurface aquifers, hydrocarbon reservoirs, etc. "One mission to watch Earth. #ISRO #NASA builds, Earth benefits. This marks a key milestone in Earth observation technology. Stay tuned as we bring you closer to the mission that watches our world," ISRO said in a post on X. "The Spacecraft is built around ISRO's I-3K Structure. It carries two major Payloads viz., L & S- Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). The S-band Radar system, data handling & high-speed downlink system, the spacecraft and the launch system are developed by ISRO. The L-band Radar system, the high-speed downlink system, the Solid-State Recorder, the GPS receiver, and the 9 m Boom hoisting the 12m reflector are delivered by NASA. Further, ISRO takes care of the satellite commanding and operations; NASA will provide the orbit manoeuvre plan and RADAR operations plan. NISAR mission will be aided with ground station support from both ISRO and NASA for downloading of the acquired images, which, after the necessary processing, will be disseminated to the user community," the statement added. The data acquired through S-band and L-band SAR from a single platform will help scientists understand the changes happening to Planet Earth. The complex payloads and mainframe systems have been designed, developed, qualified and realised over a period of 8 to 10 years. "The S- Band SAR and L- Band SAR were independently developed, integrated and tested at ISRO and JPL/NASA respectively. The Integrated Radar Instrument Structure (IRIS), consisting of S - Band and L - Band SAR and other payload elements were intergrated and tested at JPL/NASA and delivered to ISRO," it stated. Mainframe satellite elements and payloads were assembled, integrated and tested at URSC/ISRO. The mission phases can be broadly classified into: Launch phase, Deployment Phase, Commissioning Phase and Science Phase. NISAR will be launched onboard the GSLV-F16 launch vehicle on July 30, 2025 from ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), also referred to as Sriharikota High Altitude Range (SHAR), located in Sriharikota on the southeast coast of the Indian peninsula. It hosts a 12m dia large reflector which shall be deployed in-orbit 9m away from the satellite by a complex multistage deployable boom designed and developed by JPL/NASA. The first 90 days after launch will be dedicated to commissioning, or In-Orbit Checkout (IOC), the objective of which is to prepare the observatory for science operations. Commissioning is divided into sub-phases of initial checks and calibrations of mainframe elements followed by JPL engineering payload and instrument checkout. The science operations phase begins at the end of commissioning and extends till end of mission life. During this phase, the science orbit will be maintained via regular maneuvers, scheduled to avoid or minimize conflicts with science observations. Extensive calibration and validation (CalVal) activities will take place. The observation plan for both L and S-band instruments, along with engineering activities (e.g., maneuvers, parameter updates, etc.), will be generated pre-launch via frequent coordination between JPL and ISRO, the statement added.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store