India’s space agency is preparing to launch a 6,500 kg communication satellite built by the United States within the next couple of months, said ISRO Chairman V Narayanan on Sunday. Speaking at an event near Chennai, Narayanan recalled the humble origins of India’s space journey, which began with a small rocket supplied by the United States in 1963.
His remarks came soon after the successful launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission on 30 July aboard the GSLV-F16 rocket. The NISAR satellite, described as the costliest satellite ever built in the world, carried an L Band SAR payload from the United States and an S Band payload from ISRO. It was placed in orbit with precise accuracy by India’s own launcher.
“In another couple of months, a country which received a tiny rocket from the United States, is going to launch a 6,500 kg communication satellite built by the America using our own launcher from Indian soil. What a significant growth it is,” Narayanan said.
He recalled that in 1975, ISRO used satellite data provided by the United States to demonstrate mass communication by installing 2,400 television sets across 2,400 villages in six Indian states. Over the decades, ISRO has grown to stand “shoulder to shoulder with advanced countries” in space technology.
Narayanan also mentioned that NASA scientists praised ISRO’s precision in executing the GSLV-F16/NISAR mission. Highlighting the agency’s progress, he noted that India, which had no satellite technology 50 years ago, has so far launched 433 satellites for 34 countries using its own launch vehicles.
Narayanan, who also serves as Secretary of the Department of Space, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree during the 21st Convocation of SRM Institute of Science and Technology.
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