ISRO Chairman Discusses Satellites' Role in Enhancing India's Security and Technological Growth
At the 5th Convocation ceremony of the Central Agricultural University (CAU) in Imphal, V Narayanan, the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), discussed the importance of satellites for India's national security. He explained that India relies on at least 10 satellites that operate continuously to help protect the country and its citizens.
He pointed out that satellite technology is essential for monitoring India's long coastline and northern borders. Without the use of satellites and drones, ensuring the country's safety would be a difficult task.
Narayanan's remarks come amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that resulted in 26 casualties. In retaliation, India targeted terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir with airstrikes. Pakistan responded with drone and missile attacks, which were intercepted by India. The two nations later agreed to halt military actions on May 7.
Narayanan also highlighted India's significant achievements in space. He noted that India was the first country to discover water molecules on the Moon during the Chandrayaan-1 mission. India is now positioning itself as a "vibrant space power" and is planning to establish its own space station by 2040.
The country has also launched a total of 433 satellites into orbit for 34 different countries. In addition, Narayanan mentioned that emergency response systems in India have improved over the years, resulting in fewer lives being lost during disasters, thanks to advanced technology.
ISRO's contributions extend beyond national security and are being applied to various sectors like telemedicine, education, weather forecasting, and TV broadcasting. Furthermore, ISRO is working on developing a satellite to assist G20 countries in studying climate change, air pollution, and monitoring weather patterns.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
SpaceX rolls out Falcon 9 and Dragon for Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's historic trip to space; Check visuals
The countdown for India's historic return to space started with SpaceX on Saturday rolling out the Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecrafts to the launch pad ahead of Axiom Space's fourth human spaceflight, featuring Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla."Falcon 9 and Dragon rolled out to pad 39A in Florida earlier today ahead of Tuesday's launch of @Axiom_Space's Ax-4 mission to the @Space_Station," said SpaceX in a post on X. Read more: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's space mission's schedule out: Check launch date, arrival time, and how to watch liveIndian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others are set to embark on the Axiom Space's fourth human spaceflight from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 10 and are likely to dock at the International Space Station on June 11 at about 10 PM IST, after a nearly 28-hour journey. Shukla, the mission pilot of the Axiom-4 (Ax4) commercial mission to the ISS, will be accompanied by mission commander Peggy Whitson and specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Axiom-4 mission will mark India's return to space 41 years after Rakesh Sharma's historic spaceflight onboard Russia's Soyuz mission in 1984."The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company's Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 12:30 (10:00 p.m. IST), Wednesday, June 11," NASA said in a statement. What role will Shukla play? Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the commercial mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot. The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. As part of a collaboration between NASA and ISRO, Axiom Mission 4 delivers on a commitment highlighted by President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first ISRO astronaut to the station. The space agencies are participating in five joint science investigations and two in-orbit science, technology, engineering, and mathematics demonstrations. NASA and ISRO have a long-standing relationship built on a shared vision to advance scientific knowledge and expand space private mission also carries the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary to stay aboard the space station.
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Indian astronaut Shukla Axiom-4 mission set for June 10 lift-off, dock at ISS after 28-hour flight
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others are set to embark on Axiom Space's fourth human spaceflight from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 10 and are likely to dock at the International Space Station on June 11 at about 10 PM IST, after a nearly 28-hour journey. Mr. Shukla, the mission pilot of the Axiom-4 (Ax4) commercial mission to the ISS, will be accompanied by mission commander Peggy Whitson and specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland. The Axiom-4 mission will mark India's return to space 41 years after Rakesh Sharma's historic spaceflight onboard Russia's Soyuz mission in 1984. "The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company's Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 12:30 p.m. EDT (10:00 p.m. IST), Wednesday, June 11," NASA said in a statement. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan visited Axiom Space last week to review the preparations for the spaceflight. The astronauts have been in quarantine since May 25 to prepare for the trip and have been training ahead of the launch on June 10. "The #Ax4 crew undergoes extensive emergency training, featuring a range of scenarios such as underwater escape drills," Axiom Space said in a post on X, and shared a video of the training programme. During the 14-day stay at the ISS, the Ax-4 crew is expected to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, school students, and space industry leaders, among others. Earlier this week, the crew addressed a press conference to give an update on the training ahead of the launch. "We are good for the launch, we have completed all the training and the team has bonded well," Mr. Whitson said on Tuesday (June 3, 2025). Mr. Shukla described the year-long training for the spaceflight as "nothing short of transformative". "It has been an amazing journey so far, but the best is yet to come. As I go into space, I carry not just instruments and equipment, I carry hopes and dreams of a billion hearts," Mr. Shukla said. Mr. Shukla is set to conduct exclusive food and nutrition-related experiments developed under a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA. The experiments aim to pioneer space nutrition and self-sustaining life support systems vital for future long-duration space travel. ISRO has lined up a set of seven experiments for Mr. Shukla, who will also participate in five joint studies planned by NASA for its human research program. It has drawn up plans to focus on India-centric food for carrying out experiments on the ISS, including sprouting methi (Fenugreek) and moong (green gram) in microgravity conditions. Mr. Shukla will also expose the seeds to the macrobiotic conditions and bring them back to earth, where they will be cultivated into plants not just once but over generations. Mr. Shukla's experience on the Axiom Mission 4 would be very well utilised on the Gaganyaan mission, which is planned for 2027. ISRO is spending ₹550 crore on the Axiom-4 mission.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
5 hours ago
- Business Standard
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom-4 Mission set for launch on June 10
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others are set to embark on the Axiom Space's fourth human spaceflight from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 10 and are likely to dock at the International Space Station on June 11 at about 10 PM IST, after a nearly 28-hour journey. Shukla, the mission pilot of the Axiom-4 (Ax4) commercial mission to the ISS, will be accompanied by mission commander Peggy Whitson and specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland. The Axiom-4 mission will mark India's return to space 41 years after Rakesh Sharma's historic spaceflight onboard Russia's Soyuz mission in 1984. "The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company's Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 12:30 (10:00 p.m. IST), Wednesday, June 11," NASA said in a statement. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan visited Axiom Space last week to review the preparations for the spaceflight. The astronauts have been in quarantine since May 25 to prepare for the trip and have been training ahead of the launch on June 10. "The #Ax4 crew undergoes extensive emergency training, featuring a range of scenarios such as underwater escape drills," Axiom Space said in a post on X, and shared a video of the training programme. During the 14-day stay at the ISS, the Ax-4 crew is expected to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, school students, and space industry leaders among others. Earlier this week, the crew addressed a press conference to give an update on the training ahead of the launch. "We are good for the launch, we have completed all the training and the team has bonded well," Whitson said on Tuesday. Shukla described the year-long training for the spaceflight as "nothing short of transformative". "It has been an amazing journey so far, but the best is yet to come. As I go into space, I carry not just instruments and equipment, I carry hopes and dreams of a billion hearts," Shukla said. Shukla is set to conduct exclusive food and nutrition-related experiments developed under a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA. The experiments aim to pioneer space nutrition and self-sustaining life support systems vital for future long-duration space travel. ISRO has lined up a set of seven experiments for Shukla, who will also participate in five joint studies planned by NASA for its human research program. It has drawn up plans to focus on India-centric food for carrying out experiments on the ISS, including sprouting methi (Fenugreek) and moong (green gram) in microgravity conditions. Shukla will also expose the seeds to the macrobiotic conditions and bring them back to earth where they will be cultivated into plants not just once but over generations. Shukla's experience on the Axiom Mission 4 would be very well utilised on the Gaganyaan mission which is planned for 2027. ISRO is spending Rs 550 crore on the Axiom-4 mission.
