f big ol’ USA has NASA, India also has ISRO or Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). This was our last stop for the week-long visit in Incredible India.
I was literally in awe to learn that India has its own space department. Although I already had a glimpse of how cutting edge India’s technology is, I never really thought that the Indians’ engineering feats have reached outer space.
Since ISRO was set up by the government in the early 1960’s, more than 60 satellites, all of which were assembled in India, have been launched in outer space for scientific and technological applications.
The Indian government is using these satellites for their telecommunications, media broadcasting, meteorology, disaster warning, search and rescue, tele-education, health, and agricultural programs.
The satellites are especially vital for land-locked India. It helps pinpoint areas where water can be sourced for irrigation and drinking.
In November 2008, ISRO launched into space an unmanned spacecraft called Chandrayaan-1, and it successfully touched ground on the moon. This then made India as the fourth country to send a probe to the lunar surface.
ISRO is also partnering with international space agencies in two other countries. These are CNES in France for joint satellite missions on atmospheric and ocean studies, and Russia’s Space Federal Agency RKA for a joint lunar exploration mission proposed to be launched in 2014.
Singapore-based online magazine AsianScientist.com in a Feb. 17, 2012 report disclosed ISRO’s plans of launching a scientific mission to Venus. The report quoted ISRO official M.S. Anurup telling delegates of the 17th National Space Science Symposium that a preliminary study on the mission’s feasibility has already been undertaken.
ISRO is reportedly eyeing to launch the Venus mission in 2015 once it gets the green light.
We weren’t allowed to bring our cameras inside the ISRO building so I don’t have photos to show here. But after our briefing in ISRO, we were brought to the Aerospace Museum where we walked through a gallery of India’s space and aeronautics history. Snapshots marking India’s milestones in its space program were mounted on the wall. Prototypes of their satellites were on display.
A large group of grade school students were also in the museum on a field trip during our visit. The students were adorable in their cute uniforms and absolutely not camera-shy at all. They were quick to smile, boisterous and enthusiastic as we snapped away with our cameras. They kept calling out “Hello! Hello!” to us as they passed by.
Those smiles and greetings would be the last mental picture I would have of India as we went back to our hotel that day to pack up and prepare for our midnight trip out of Bangalore to Kuala Lumpur.
My next post is the last of this series, and a recap of my unforgettable week-long trip across Incredible India.
Since ISRO was set up by the government in the early 1960’s, more than 60 satellites, all of which were assembled in India, have been launched in outer space for scientific and technological applications.
The Indian government is using these satellites for their telecommunications, media broadcasting, meteorology, disaster warning, search and rescue, tele-education, health, and agricultural programs.
The satellites are especially vital for land-locked India. It helps pinpoint areas where water can be sourced for irrigation and drinking.
In November 2008, ISRO launched into space an unmanned spacecraft called Chandrayaan-1, and it successfully touched ground on the moon. This then made India as the fourth country to send a probe to the lunar surface.
ISRO is also partnering with international space agencies in two other countries. These are CNES in France for joint satellite missions on atmospheric and ocean studies, and Russia’s Space Federal Agency RKA for a joint lunar exploration mission proposed to be launched in 2014.
Singapore-based online magazine AsianScientist.com in a Feb. 17, 2012 report disclosed ISRO’s plans of launching a scientific mission to Venus. The report quoted ISRO official M.S. Anurup telling delegates of the 17th National Space Science Symposium that a preliminary study on the mission’s feasibility has already been undertaken.
ISRO is reportedly eyeing to launch the Venus mission in 2015 once it gets the green light.
We weren’t allowed to bring our cameras inside the ISRO building so I don’t have photos to show here. But after our briefing in ISRO, we were brought to the Aerospace Museum where we walked through a gallery of India’s space and aeronautics history. Snapshots marking India’s milestones in its space program were mounted on the wall. Prototypes of their satellites were on display.
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| The Aerospace Museum in Bangalore, India. |
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| One of ISRO's satellite launch vehicles scaled down for display. |
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| Proudly India-made |
A large group of grade school students were also in the museum on a field trip during our visit. The students were adorable in their cute uniforms and absolutely not camera-shy at all. They were quick to smile, boisterous and enthusiastic as we snapped away with our cameras. They kept calling out “Hello! Hello!” to us as they passed by.
Those smiles and greetings would be the last mental picture I would have of India as we went back to our hotel that day to pack up and prepare for our midnight trip out of Bangalore to Kuala Lumpur.
My next post is the last of this series, and a recap of my unforgettable week-long trip across Incredible India.
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This post is part of my 7 Days of Incredible India series. In case you missed the previous posts in this series, click on the following (at your own risk!) :
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Really? This is exciting! It shows that India has the "power" I am not telling it could be the next superpower but possible, diba? hehe.
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Very possible! Just like China, India has the ingredients to be a superpower. Huge population, their government is so focused on technology, and self-sufficient (hardly relying on Western commodities).
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