Simran Sodhi
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 20
China today praised as well as taunted India over its record-breaking satellite launch last week. While China, in its state-run media, praised India for its ability to send commercial satellites into space at a low cost, in the same vein it also taunted New Delhi for lacking the technological ability to launch multiple satellites into various orbits. China, of late, has used commentaries and articles in the Global Times (GT) to indicate to India and other countries its stand on various issues. The GT article today praised the launch and said it was “India’s latest triumph for its space programme”. Further on, the article pointed out that what India needs “to do is to avoid the conflicts among satellites, which involves lots of calculation and data analysis, but is not a tough task”.The article quoted Zhang Yonghe, director at the new technology department of the Shanghai Engineering Centre for Microsatellites, who said that, “The launch indicated that India can send commercial satellites into space at lower costs, giving the country’s competitiveness in the global race for the burgeoning commercial space businesses.” Zhang also said India’s record-breaking launch would speed up China’s commercialisation of rocket launches. He also credited India for doing a better job in promoting its launch services internationally as compared to China.Last week, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched 104 satellites on a single rocket, breaking the record set by Russia in 2014 when it launched 37 satellites in a single mission.
India can develop space station, says ISRO chief
Indore, February 20
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman A S Kiran Kumar today said the country has the capability to develop a space station, but it needed a long-term approach and an ambitious planning.His comment follows ISRO display of technological prowess last week by launching 104 satellites in a single mission.”We have all the capabilities to set up a space station.The day the country takes the decision, we will ‘ok’ the project. Just draw a policy and provide us necessary funds and time,” Kumar said here.He was in the city to attend the foundation day ceremony of Raja Ramanna Center for Advanced Technology (RRCAT).”We still talk about what would be the immediate benefits of a manned space mission. That is why the country hasn’t made up its mind about when to invest in a space station,” he said.A long-term thinking was needed for setting up a space station, he said, adding “the sooner the better.” Kumar said ISRO was also mulling tying up with the industry to enhance the country’s satellite launching capability.Many more satellites were needed to keep a tab on the land and weather conditions and to enhance the communication network, he said.This would be possible with increase in the number of satellite launches, for which the country needed to enhance the basic infrastructure and reduce the cost of equipment, he added.The number of companies manufacturing small satellites has gone up across the world, but these companies could not launch them, therefore this area had immense commercial potential and India could tap it by enhancing the launch facilities, the ISRO chief said. — PTI
Ruined by spy scandal, ex-ISRO scientist fights for justice in SC
Satya Prakash
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 20
“The system I designed is being used in Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan and PSLV that launched 104 satellites in one go. But I am still fighting to get justice,” says former ISRO scientist S Nambi Narayanan whose career was ruined by the 1994 ISRO spy scandal.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) On Monday, Narayanan (75) was in the Supreme Court to attend hearing on his petition for action against those who finished his career and sullied his reputation.“I have wasted 25 years of my life fighting a legal battle to get justice. I want those responsible for foisting a false charge on me to be punished,” Narayanan told The Tribune.The Kerala Police had arrested Mariam Rasheeda—a Maldivian woman on October 20, 1994 for over staying in India after the expiry of her visa. It turned into a sex-spy scandal allegedly involving two senior ISRO scientists, some businessmen and others. They were accused of passing on ISRO’s cryogenic programme secrets to the women who in turn supplied the same to Russia and Pakistan’s ISI.In 1996, the CBI probe cleared all the accused. It concluded that the entire scandal was fabricated by Kerala Police officers who had investigated the case.All the accused were discharged in May 1996. Along with the closure report, the CBI had also sent a confidential report indicting the state police officials.But following a change of guard in Kerala, the state government withdrew the consent given to the CBI to probe the case and asked the state police to re-investigate it.However, the Supreme Court in April 1998 quashed the state government’s decision and all the accused were freed.Rasheeda too was released in 2001. The Kerala High Court had in September 2012 ordered the state government to pay Rs 10 lakh as interim relief to Narayanan.Acting on his petition, the Kerala High Court had in October 2014 ordered action against the state police officials based on the CBI’s confidential report. But a Division Bench of the High Court reversed the order in March 2015.It’s this Division Bench verdict that Narayanan is fighting against in the top court now.On Monday, Sibi Mathew – one of the police officers indicted by the CBI – sought four-week adjournment but a Bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra declined to give that much time and fixed the matter for further hearing on February 23.Narayanan exuded confidence that he will get justice from the Supreme Court.