India shares space research with poor countries

Nov 14, 2013 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
In his column (KN Nov 11), Freddie Kissoon argues that India does not need a space programme and money spent on it should be used to alleviate poverty. That is utter ignorance at its best and shows Kissoon does not understand “space technology”. It is typical India bashing from the writer. India’s Mars mission will collect data along the way beneficial to all of humanity.
With its 1.2 billion people, only half are part of the middle class and yes, India does have a lot of poor people as I observed during my regular visits to the country. But contrary to what Freddie Kissoon feels, the very basis of the space programme is to improve the economic condition of the country and to alleviate poverty, as the programme helps India in development goals, particularly relating to agriculture.
India launched several satellites since 1980 to study climate and weather patterns that are used to guide farmers with crops, since more than half of the country’s livelihoods are tied to agriculture.
The space programme is expensive, but it is a fifth of the cost of European countries’ space programme. It is cheaper for India to have its own space programme rather than pay European countries to launch satellites. India used to depend on Russia for satellite communication. India’s space programme is so advanced that the Russians, Europeans, Americans and Japanese are teaming up with Indian space programme to launch satellites.
India’s space programme has helped to alleviate poverty not only in India but in poverty-stricken countries in Asia and Africa as well. Several African and Asian countries depend on Indian satellites (not European or Chinese or Japanese) for communication. Unlike the European and American space programmes, India’s space programme is geared towards international development, because India shares its findings with the poor countries.
India’s space programme is development-based (space launching to study weather pattern and satellite communication) and geared towards poor countries. India shares technology and climate research with the poor countries. Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Zimbabwe, etc. depend on India for climate and other information.
India’s space programme is not commercially driven like Russia’s or the West’s, although India did launch communication satellites for European countries and American companies because the cost is almost ten times less than what the US or European Space Agency (Ariane, neighbouring French Guiana) charges.
The literature would show that India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, was indigenously built by Indian engineers and scientists and launched by the Soviet Union in 1975. Rohini, the first satellite to be placed in orbit by an Indian-made launch vehicle, SLV-3, was launched in 1980. Two other rockets were built — the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) putting satellites into polar orbits and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) for placing satellites into geostationary orbits. These rockets have launched numerous communications satellites and earth observation satellite.
In 2008, Chandrayaan-1, India’s first mission to the Moon was launched. A second Chandrayaan mission took off last year. And over the years, India conducted a variety of operations for both Indian and foreign clients. India cooperates with the international community as part of several bilateral and multilateral agreements including with ESA (European), NASA (US) and RSA (Russia).
Oh, most of the world’s space programmes are dominated by Indian engineers, including more than a third at NASA and a huge number at Ariane. India cannot depend on others for space research. It needs her own programme.
The Indian space programme did suffer setbacks from time to time when launches went wrong and satellites were destroyed – just like what happens to other space programmes occasionally. But overall, India’s space programme has been a success and it has helped to tackle poverty and aid in informed decision-making, especially for farmers, so they can plan cultivation.
Just like how India helps Guyana and African countries to alleviate poverty with generous financial assistance, India also uses her space programme to help the neighbouring poor countries.
Vishnu Bisram

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