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Wednesday, Feb 27, 2008
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Call to promote space science

Special Correspondent

Committee trying to identify 10 universities for developing strong space science groups: U.R. Rao

Photo: D. Radhakrishnan

motivating youngsters: The Chairman, Advisory Committee on Space Research, U.R. Rao (right) with G. Swarup of the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics at the inaugural of the 15th National Space Science Symposium in Udhagamandalam on Tuesday. —

Udhagamandalam: Efforts should be made to draw more youngsters to the field of space science, said the Chairman, Advisory Committee on Space Research, U.R. Rao, here on Tuesday.

Inaugurating a four-day 15th National Space Science Symposium sponsored by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and organised by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, he said that facilities of a varied kind notwithstanding, “we do not have enough young talent.” While technological opportunities in terms of providing complex satellites and launch opportunities were now available with ISRO, the number of active scientists available for carrying out innovative and meaningful space experiments ‘is still very small’. In this context, the Advisory Committee for Space Science (ADCOS) and ISRO were trying to identify and actively support at least 10 universities across the country for developing strong space science groups.

During the last decade, ISRO, through ADCOS had been trying to strengthen scientific research in areas such as middle atmospheric phenomena, solar terrestrial physics, meteorology, high energy astrophysics and space astronomy in addition to initiating new activities in emerging areas such as global change and climate phenomena.

Pointing out that the most significant recent event in atmospheric research was the publication of climate change estimate by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), he said that while there were still a few uncertainties in the estimate of global warming and the developed nations particularly the US, Australia and those in Europe were trying to use their political clout against developing countries, especially India and China, “there is no doubt about the reality of global warming and the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by all nations in a fair and equitable manner.”

Stating that the world was going through one of the most exciting periods of scientific discovery in space sciences, Mr. Rao said that ISRO was also formulating a forward-looking space programme to stay abreast of the developments. ADCOS had recently constituted four major panels on Planetary Exploration, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Space Weather and Weather and Climate Science to draw up a perspective scientific plan for the decade 2010-2020 in addition to the five year plan 2007-2012 and to identify candidate experiments for carrying out such plans.

Consequent to the total self-reliance achieved by ISRO in launching large payloads as well as multiple payloads into any desired orbit, the four panels in the last four months had been busy in defining possible future missions, including Chandrayaan-2- a Lunar Orbiter, Mars Orbiter, Asteroid Orbiter and a Space-borne solar Coronograph.

Presiding over the function, Govind Swarup of the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Pune traced the history of the Radio Telescope here. The Director, National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Rajaram Nityananda, and the president, Astronomy Society of India, J.N. Goswami, also spoke. The Programme Director, R. Sridharan, welcomed the gathering, which comprised over 500 delegates. The convenor, P.K. Manoharan, proposed a vote of thanks. Later, Mr. Rao told presspersons that the pressure being applied by developed countries on developing nations to reduce carbon dioxide emission was unreasonable.

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