Addressing an overseas group of young Space researchers from different parts of the world, including Europe, Africa, America and South-East Asia, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances,Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said here today that it is a matter of gratification for every Indian and a proud moment for India’s Space Scientists to see enthusiastic young Space scholars and researchers from across the world looking forward to learn from the Indian experience. In the same vein, such interactions prove to be equally rewarding for the scientists back home by acquainting them with the kind of projects and Space missions being undertaken by their counterparts in other parts of the world.
The Space researchers, who where on an interactive training trip to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) establishments in Bengaluru and other places, were quite amused by this exposure and said, they had never imagined that India had moved so far ahead in the field of Space technology. Some of the scholars from the neighboring countries suggested that India should also take a lead role in providing its Space technology services to the surrounding countries in the region.Dr. Jitendra Singh said, with the launching of fourth satellite in the seven - satellite IRNSS series on the 28th of last month, India is now providing navigation and communication facility to all the surrounding countries falling in the service area of these satellites.
With the successful accomplishment of Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), Dr. Jitendra Singh said, the world has accepted India’s supremacy in Space technology and the entire credit goes to the ‘Team ISRO” who have in the last fifty years, beginning from a humble initiative under Vikram Sarabhai and Satish Dhawan, today placed India on the top of the world’s Space map. Referring to another lesser known fact, he revealed that although the missions to the Moon had begun in 1960s by Russia and USA, but it is India’s Chandrayan Mission-I in 2008, which discovered the presence of water on the surface of the Moon and turned a new chapter in the world’s understanding of Moon.Later, accompanied by Chairman ISRO A.S. Kiran Kumar, Dr. Jitendra Singh went around the various sections of the ISRO Satellite Station. He spent time discussing the work relating to developing of various satellites scheduled to be launched in the next few months and also interacted with the scientific fraternity.