The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has come a long way from receiving a small rocket from the United States six decades ago to preparing to launch American satellites from Indian soil. In the next couple of months, Isro will be launching a 6,500 kg communication satellite built by the US, the agency’s chairman, V Narayanan, announced on Sunday.Speaking at an event near Chennai, Narayanan said this mission will follow the historic launch of the Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission onboard a GSLV-F16 rocket on July 30. “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,” he noted.Narayanan, who is also the secretary of the department of space, was conferred the honorary Doctor of Science degree by Maharashtra governor C P Radhakrishnan during the 21st Convocation of the SRM Institute of Science and Technology at Kattankulathur, near Chennai.Recalling Isro’s beginnings, he said the agency was set up in 1963 when India lagged six to seven years behind advanced nations. That year, the United States donated a small rocket to India, marking the start of the country’s space programme. “It was on November 21, 1963,” he said.Narayanan also pointed to 1975, when Isro demonstrated ‘mass communication’ with the help of US satellite data by installing 2,400 television sets across 2,400 villages in six Indian states.Reflecting on recent achievements, he called July 30 “a historical day for Indian space programme” when Isro launched the world’s costliest satellite, NISAR, carrying the L Band SAR payload from the US and the S Band payload from Isro. “The satellite was placed in orbit precisely by Indian launcher (GSLV). And today, we are shoulder to shoulder with advanced countries,” he said.He added that Nasa’s team had praised Isro for the precision of the GSLV-F16/NISAR mission. Highlighting India’s rise in the global space sector, Narayanan said that from having no satellite technology 50 years ago, Isro has now launched 433 satellites for 34 countries using its own launch vehicles.
