SHABD, Kanyakumari, April 18: ISRO and NASA have jointly developed a new satellite which is scheduled to be launched from Sriharikota, India, in the upcoming month of June, said ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan in a press interaction held at Nagercoil in Kanniyakumari district. The ISRO Chairman, who hails from Melakattu Vilai near Nagercoil in Kanniyakumari district, visited the Kailasanathar Swamy Temple in his native village. After offering prayers, he addressed the media.
He shared that ISRO has recently launched a new initiative called ‘Space Sector Reform’, which allows not just ISRO but also students, small-scale industries, and IT-based companies to participate in building satellites and rockets. This, he said, will open up numerous employment opportunities across the country. Talking about Chandrayaan missions, he mentioned that while Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the Moon, ISRO is now preparing Chandrayaan-4 and 5 with advanced technologies for the next stages of exploration. Chandrayaan-4, in particular, is being designed to land on the Moon’s south pole, collect samples, and bring them back to Earth.
He also highlighted a collaborative project between ISRO and Japan to build a satellite together. Regarding India’s human spaceflight program, Narayanan explained that the rocket will undergo three unmanned trial launches before astronauts are sent into space in the fourth attempt. The first phase of testing is set to begin this year. He further revealed that the satellite and rocket jointly developed by ISRO and NASA will be launched from Sriharikota in June.
Importantly, Narayanan announced that a new launch pad is being constructed in Tamil Nadu, at Kulasekarapattinam. The construction work has already commenced, and the facility is expected to be ready within two years, enabling rocket launches from Tamil Nadu as well.
AGULI STAFF DESK
