Lunar Eclipse

Letters to the Editor - Dawn
October 29, 2007

This is with reference to the editorial in your newspaper titled 'Lunar Eclipse' on 29/10/07. The editorial has not considered the Indian space program from the Indian perspective.

Our space program is unique compared to that of other space faring nations in the sense that its sole purpose since its inception was to help a vast and diverse country to use space technologies to tap the nations resources, provide communication facilities throughout the country and help in weather forecasting so as to benefit the common man. To understand this one must realize that India started its space program in 1962, amidst severe criticism, as the nation was struggling to even feed its people. Hence throughout its history, the nation's space program was tailored to meet the needs of the country. It was not seen as a means to boost national prestige unlike many other countries.

Considering the above, a question arises as to whether India has succeeded
in its goals in space. The answer is an emphatic yes. India today has the largest network of weather forecasting and communication satellites in the Asia-Pacific region namely the 'INSAT'. India stands first in the world in remote sensing with its 'IRS' series of satellites. Over the past 10 years we have been selling satellite photographs to many other countries. The 'CARTOSAT' and 'RESOURCESAT' series along with 'EDUSAT', the world's only satellite dedicated entirely for education, have brought enormous benefits to an impoverished nation. India's space program has gone a step further to build & launch satellites for other countries at extremely cheap rates. The PSLV rocket, designed and built entirely in India, has proved its worth and robustness by placing the Italian 'Agile' satellite in an orbit considered very difficult to achieve.

The Indian space program is proceeding in its own path and at its own pace. Its immediate priorities are to achieve the ability to build, launch and operate satellites of any weight and to build powerful launch vehicles for this purpose. India aims to capture atleast 30% of the satellite services market by 2020, a market estimated at $20 billion