Consistent effort key to India's growth in space technology, says ISRO chairman
Addressing the 21st convocation of the National Institute of Technology–Tiruchi (NIT-T), Mr. Narayanan said that the upcoming NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission on July 30 was testimony to India's growing stature in space technology.
Speaking about Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's journey to the International Space Station this year, Mr. Narayanan said: 'The original launch date was planned on June 11. On the morning of June 10, we understood that the Falcon rocket that was meant to take Shukla ji and three other astronauts to space, had a liquid oxygen leakage in the booster engine. Indians were the ones who raised it and ensured that the launch was called off later that day because we were not convinced by the rocket's safety. After the entire thing was corrected and validated to our satisfaction, the rocket lifted off on June 25. Every Indian and ISRO scientist can be proud that with our education system, our knowledge and ISRO's background, we could stop a launch to ensure the safety of astronauts.'
Emphasising the significance of India's space research journey, he said the country launched its 100th space vehicle this year.
'From humble beginnings, India's space exploration has been built on a foundation of resilience and collaboration, steadily evolving into a programme that now plays a critical role in supporting and enhancing various aspects of human life,' he said.
He urged the outgoing batch of students to take pride in their educational journey and utilise their knowledge to contribute towards society.
In her address, G. Aghila, Director, NIT, TIruchi, said that the launch of the NIT-T Research and Innovation Hub (NITTRIH) and ongoing collaborations with ISRO through the Space Technology Incubation Centre underscored the institution's robust innovation ecosystem. Several international and industry partnerships were formed this year, she added.
A total of 2,045 students received their degrees on Saturday.
The President's Medal for the highest overall cumulative grade point average (CGPA) was awarded to M. Jayashree of B. Tech, Electronics and Communication Engineering. Institute medals were presented to nine B.Tech., one B.Arch., 23 M.Tech., five M.Sc, and one each of M.Arch., MCA, MBA, and M.A. graduands.
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