India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked its Space community to develop a ‘SAARC satellite’ in his yet another move to come closer to neighbours.
“Today, I ask our Space community, to take up the challenge, of developing a SAARC Satellite,” he tweeted.
Modi was witnessing the launch of Indian Space Research Organisation’s PSLV C-23 rocket in Sriharikota on Monday.
This is India’s fourth dedicated commercial launch, but the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle’s (PSLV) 27th launch. The launch vehicle costs Rs. 1 billion, NDTV reports.
Asking his researchers to develop SAARC Satellite, he said: “This will help all our neighbours”.
“India’s Space programme is driven by a vision of service to humanity. Not by a desire of power,” he said.
He was the first Indian leader who invited all heads of SAARC states in his swearing-in ceremony last month.
“India is committed to good relations with its neighbours,” he later said.
The 230-ton PSLV lifted off at 9:52 am, carrying five satellites from four countries – France, Germany, Canada and Singapore.
The rocket’s main luggage is the 714 kg French earth observation satellite SPOT-7, NDTV reported.
ISRO has so far launched 35 satellites from 19 countries like Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Singapore, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Turkey and United Kingdom.
Earlier India used to buy images from countries like the US and France. Monday’s launch reinforces India’s success in launching satellites for the West who are also buying remote sensing images from India, according to NDTV.
“The success of the mission fills every Indian’s heart with pride and I can see the joy and satisfaction on your faces,” Modi said, addressing a large group of space scientists in English.
“Today’s satellites are from developed nations. This is a global endorsement of our space programme,” he said.
“We should dedicate this satellite to our neighbourhood as India’s gift … India is rooted in our age-old ethos of ‘Vasudeva Kutumbakom’. Our space science reflects that. We should share the fruit of this with our neighbouring countries,” the Times of India quoted Modi as saying during the launch.
He said the cost of sending an Indian rocket to space is less than the money invested to make the Hollywood film “Gravity”, according to INAS.
For the first time, a woman engineer Lalithambika, who works at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, gave live commentary on the launch.
Some 4,000 police personnel were posted for security.
Modi who is known to be a space buff had visited the Gujarat state’s remote sensing centre a record 50 times as Chief Minister.
Citing sources close to him NDTV said “he is keen on ways of harnessing space technology in agriculture and other fields”.
Source: UNBConnect