S Somanath, the Chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), presented an ambitious roadmap for the agency's future during his keynote address at 'Techfest,' IIT Bombay's annual science and technology event.
Charting a Course to 2047: ISRO's Vision for the Next 25 Years
“We have a roadmap for what we have planned till 2047…. We can build a space station, we can send human beings to the moon, and we can create moon-based economic activity in space,” declared Somanath, shedding light on ISRO's strategic goals for the next quarter-century, as reported by ANI.
India's space endeavors take a transformative leap with the goal of launching 50 satellites in the next five years for geo-intelligence gathering. Somanath detailed plans to deploy satellites in different orbits, enhancing capabilities to monitor troop movements and capture high-resolution images of expansive areas. “The power of any nation is the ability to understand what is happening around it,” emphasized Somanath, quoting PTI.
Critical Thinking in Satellite Technology
Somanath underscored a paradigm shift in perspective, stating, "There is a different way of thinking now, and we need to look at it in a much more critical manner." In line with this, the ISRO Chief revealed that 50 satellites have already been configured for launch in the next five years to bolster India's geo-intelligence capabilities.
In a momentous announcement, Somanath revealed that the Aditya L1 spacecraft is scheduled to reach its cosmic destination, Lagrange Point 1 (L1), on January 6, 2024. This follows the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan 3 and the launch of India's maiden solar mission, Aditya L1, on September 2 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.