A presentation delivered at BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore as a invited talk on 'Evolution of Space Technology in India'.

1. Evolution of Space Tech in India
Narayan Prasad N
8|Sep|2014, BMS College of Engineering

2. 01
Mysore Rockets
✤ Combustion chamber: 8 inches (200
mm) long iron tube!
✤ Diameter: 1.5 to 3 inches (38 to 76 mm) o!
✤ Length: about 4 ft !
✤ Propellant: well packed black powder !
✤ Construction: closed at one end and
strapped to a shaft of bamboo!
✤ Travel: almost 1,000 yards!
✤ First use: Second Anglo-Mysore War
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congreve_rocket

3. 01
Vikram
Sarabhai
Father of the Indian Space Program
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikram_Sarabhai

4. Physical Research Laboratory
Modest beginning at Sarabhai’s residence followed by research in Cosmic Rays
Nov 11, 1947, in M.G. Science College, Ahmedabad
Source: http://www.isro.org/newsletters/scripts/newslettersin.aspx?Page3AJ44

5. 01
Sounding Rockets
✤ Thumba,Thiruvananthapura!
✤ Proximity to the mag equator!
✤ Inaugural flight on November
21, 1963 !
✤ Sodium vapour payload
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Thumba_Equatorial_Rocket_Launching_Station

6. Local Church: Main office & Control Centre
Launchpad among coconut groves
Source: http://spaceywasey.blogspot.se/2013/09/a-rocket-from-church.html
Bishop’s house: A Workshop

7. “There are some who question the relevance of space
activities in a developing nation. To us, there is no ambiguity
of purpose. We do not have the fantasy of competing with
the economically advanced nations in the exploration of the
Moon or the planets or manned space-flight. But we are
convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally,
and in the community of nations, we must be second to none
in the application of advanced technologies to the real
problems of man and society.”
–Vikram Sarabhai

8. Source: http://sreedhar-abdulkalams.blogspot.se/2010/06/slv-3-project.html

9. 01
Birth of Remote
Sensing in India
Detecting Coconut Root Wilt Disease using Color
Infrared Film in 1970s !
!
!
!
!
Prof. P. R. Pisharoty !
[Father of Remote Sensing in India]
Aerial view of Grove Area!
(Coconut Root Wilt Disease Study)
Source: http://www.caneus.org/sstdm/presentations/day1/
Inuagral_Session/04-Navalgund%20R.pdf

10. 01
Ariane Passenger
PayLoad Experiment
(APPLE)
✤ India's first three-axis stabilised
experimental Geostationary
communication satellite!
✤ Experimental C-Band
transponder launched by
Ariane on June 19, 1981
Source: http://www.isro.org/Imagegallery/otherimages.aspx

11. Satellite Instructional Television Experiment
Covering more than 2400 villages in 20 districts of six Indian states
1 August 1975 to 31 July 1976
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_Instructional_Television_Experiment

12. 01
Potential Fishing
Zones (PFZs)
✤ Ocean Colour Monitor
provides the Chlorophyll
Concentration !
✤ Advanced Very High
Resolution Radiometer derived
Sea Surface Temperatures!
✤ Average 80% success rate!
✤ Search time has reduced by
60-70%
Source: H.U. Solankia et al, Evaluation of remote-sensing-based
potential fishing zones (PFZs) forecast methodology, Continental
Shelf Research 25 (2005) 2163–2173

13. 01
Earthquake &
Other Disasters
Be village landslide in north Sikkim. (a)
Post-earthquake Cartosat-1 image, (b) pre-earthquake
Cartosat-1 image, and (c)
Google Earth image of 2010 showing
location of houses (yellow outlines).
Source: Tapas R. Martha et al, Damage and geological assessment of
the 18 September 2011 Mw 6.9 earthquake in Sikkim, India using very
high resolution satellite data, Geoscience Frontiers xxx (2014) 1e14!

14. Source: http://www.isro.org/publications/pdf/Telemedicine.pdf
Telemedicine
70% of India lives in villages, 2% doctors practice in villages
Since 2001 ISRO built capability to enable 1.5 Lakh Indian villagers to avail such facilities

15. EduSat
Launched in September, 2004
FYI… VTU has 100 nodes with EduSat

16. 01
Source: http://isrohq.vssc.gov.in/isr0dem0v2/images/launchers_history.jpg

17. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
As of 2014 the PSLV has launched 65 satellites / spacecrafts (30 Indian and 35 Foreign Satellites)
Source: B.N. Suresh, Roadmap of Indian space transportation, Acta Astronautica 64 (2009) 395–402

18. Source: http://indiandefence.com/threads/i-s-r-o-news-and-discussions.5783/page-16gSgHzolBwwG-4Kt4SUldoaNA&ust=1410198596821711 01

19. 01
IRNSS: Developing
Navigational Capability
Source: http://forbesindia.com/article/real-issue/isros-very-
own-gps-is-ready/35511/0

20. Indian space transportation road map
RLV, SSTO… and more
Source: B.N. Suresh, Roadmap of Indian space transportation, Acta Astronautica 64 (2009) 395–402

21. “Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon.”!
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! -Paul Brandt
01
Thank You!