Former Isro director Suresh Naik said on Monday that after the success of Mars Orbiter Mission, the next big challenge for the scientists would be to launch missions with the help of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)-Mark III rocket. It will help the country carry out major scientific missions in space, he said.Naik was speaking while addressing the students during a seminar on ‘research work and achievements in space technology’ at Dipex, a five-day state-level science exhibition that began on March 7.
He said that more youths prefer studying at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IISST) over Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) after the success of Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM).
Naik said the Isro aims to use GSLV to send a rover to moon with the help of Chandrayaan-2 by 2018. “The GSLV will also be useful for carrying out indian human space missions through Chandrayaan-3. In the recent years, India has been successful in reducing dependency on other countries to launch satellites, while many nations are carrying out the process from India due to cost effectiveness and reliability,” he said.
“The GSLV-Mark III rocket has a payload capacity of four tonnes which would enable to carry out space missions successfully. Besides, there is also a billion-dollar satellite market that could be tapped for the commercial benefit of the country,” he said.
Naik, who is also the chairman of International Space Society, said the scientists have received crucial information about the topography of Mars through MOM. “We have also received some information on the minerals present there which would be analysed, studied and its conclusions would be presented to the world,” he said while explaining the progress of MOM.
“Initially, the mission was expected to last six months. However, we have been able to save considerable amount of fuel on the satellite which has enabled us to extend the mission by another six months,” Naik said.
He appealed to the students to join Isro and contribute towards the development of the country in terms of space technology. “After the success of MOM, many youths have chosen to join IISST which trains students on space science, technology and applications. Isro would also require skilled astronauts for which training institute would be established soon. All the academic expenses for the undergraduate students are taken care by the government through scholarships. The field offers good career opportunity and job satisfaction,” Naik said.
Taking questions from the students later, he said entrepreneurs should also contribute to Isro.
