Isro says the controversial S-band spectrum deal is not the reason for the restructuring
A round up of what's happening in the world of technology, gadgets and gizmos.
Former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair and three other senior scientists, who were barred from holding any government posts, have been indicted by the country's top space body-appointed committee for acts of commission in the Antrix-Devas deal.
India's Polar Satellite Launch vehicle-C16 rocket on Wednesday successfully launched into orbit the latest remote sensing satellite Resourcesat-2 that would study and help manage natural resources along with two nano satellites.
The punitive action on January 13 against four scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation in connection with the Antrix-Devas deal leaves many questions unanswered. It does however make it apparent that there have been lacunae in the functioning of one of India's premier scientific institutions, its commercial arm, and the overseeing body.
Taking action in the controversial Antrix-Devas deal, the government has barred former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair and three other eminent space scientists from holding any government jobs.
Buoyed by the success of Chandrayaan-I, space scientists now plan to conquer new frontiers by sending a robot on moon in 2012 and a spacecraft to Mars the following year which will also see an Indian astronaut in space.
India would launch its first manned space flights by sending two astronauts in an orbit in a Russian spaceship in 2013, according to reports.
India is all set to give the go-ahead for an ambitious mission to Mars, expected in November next year, a top Space Department official said on Saturday. "A lot of studies have been done on the possible mission to Mars," Secretary in the Department of Space and Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation K Radhakrishnan said.
"All the 34 DTH transponders on INSAT satellites are fully booked," Antrix Corporation Executive Director K R Sridhara Murthi said.
Indo-French satellite 'SARAL', aimed at oceanographic studies, would be launched along with a mix of six foreign mini and micro satellites on board PSLV-C20 from the spaceport of Sriharikota on February 25.
In its first multi-orbital launch, India's workhorse PSLV will on Monday inject eight different satellites, including the country's weather satellite SCATSAT-1 and five from other nations, into two different orbits.
India's space scientists are developing semi-cryogenic propulsion technology using kerosene that is expected to give the country the capability to launch six-tonne class satellite, almost three times the weight its rockets can currently handle.
The Indian Space Research Organisation has begun the work on its next Rs 10,000 crore ambitious project the ''manned mission'' which will witness an Indian transported to space, Chandradathan, Director of Sathish Dhavan Space Centre said in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday.
The arrest of Stewart David Nozette, a senior NASA scientist who played a key role in India's Chandrayaan-1, has shocked space scientists in both India and the United States.Nozette, who played a key role in Chandrayaan finding evidence of water on the moon, was arrested by the FBI on charges of spying for Israel. No important information regarding India's space research could have been leaked by Nozette, since he didn't have access to such data, said ISRO officials.
The United States has set in motion regulatory changes to lift the ban on India's frontline technology establishments Indian Space Research Organisation and Defence Research and Development Organisation and their removal from the entities list could come soon, top American officials have indicated. A formal notification of the US Department of Commerce for this is in the advanced stage, they said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said a country can aim for high achievements only if it has a big vision and asserted that technology upgradation should be to empower the poor. Speaking after launching via video link three PARAM Rudra supercomputers, developed indigenously under National Supercomputing Mission, Modi asserted that today's India is carving new opportunities in the infinite sky of possibilities. Modi said his government has taken steps to ensure research in technology benefits the common man.
The law ministry has told the department of space to allow four Indian Space Research Organisation scientists "post decisional opportunity" to place their stand on its move debarring them from occupying any government position in future in the aftermath of the Antrix-Devas S Band deal.
ISRO, through Antrix Corporation, has inked commercial agreements with EADS Astrium of Europe to jointly make and supply two commercial communication satellites.
Former Indian Space Research Organisation chairman G Madhavan Nair on Monday said he would file an appeal under the Right To Information Act by Tuesday seeking reasons for blacklisting him from government jobs even as he reposed faith in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to revoke his ban order. "I will file the appeal on Monday or Tuesday (before the Central Information Commission)," he said.
The ISRO plans to send three Indians to space by 2022, an announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his last Independence Day speech.
Indian Space Research Organisation has built a supercomputer, which is to be India's fastest in terms of theoretical peak performance of 220 TeraFLOPS (220 Trillion Floating Point Operations per second).
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday attacked the prime minister on Indian Space Research Organisation Antrix-Devas row, questioning his "silence" and demanded that he must come clean as he holds the space portfolio while the Congress said that political parties should refrain from commenting on a "legal matter".
Picking holes in the high-level team report that indicted him in the Antrix-Devas deal, former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair on Sunday said it had "inconsistencies and inaccuracies" and attacked the Department of Space headed by his successor K Radhakrishnan for "cowardice" in releasing only "convenient portions".
Former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair and three fellow space scientists against whom the government has taken damning action in the controversial Antrix-Devas deal were "thrown out like garbage", said Prof C N R Rao, head of the Scientific Advisory Council to the prime minister.
The controversial Antrix-Devas deal will now come under the scrutiny of a Parliamentary panel. Parliament's Committee on Estimates has decided to examine the allocation of S-band spectrum by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) with special reference to the Antrix-Devas deal, an official said.
More and more women are making their presence felt in jobs related to sciences, technology, and engineering across organisations.
India on Monday successfully launched the first technology demonstrator of indigenously made Reusable Launch Vehicle, capable of launching satellites into orbit around earth and then re-enter the atmosphere, from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
India and Russia held discussions on the possibility of cooperation in space exploration, including missions to the moon and Mars. Russia's head of Federal Space Agency met the Indian Space Research Organisation chairman.
Scientists will see two spacecraft slamming into the moon's south pole at 9,000 kmph kicking up a 10-km-high shower of debris that National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) hopes will confirm the presence of enough water necessary to supply future visits by astronauts.
The Ministry of Tourism is inviting people from around the world to visit Prayagraj and experience the Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings on Earth. The event, which begins on January 13th and runs for 45 days, will feature an "Incredible India Pavilion" showcasing cultural heritage, luxury tent accommodations, and enhanced air connectivity. The ministry is also launching a major social media campaign to generate buzz about the event, encouraging people to share their experiences and moments from the Maha Kumbh.
India has completed a significant amount of work on next year's planned Mars mission for which scientific payloads have been short-listed, with formal government approval for the ambitious venture expected soon.
"The level of education and knowledge being imparted by many colleges... they are not up to the mark. Instead of concentrating on quantity, these institutions should concentrate on quality," he told PTI in an interview.
India's second mission to the moon will be launched on Monday at 2.43 pm after its initial launch on July 15 was called off owing to a "technical glitch."
Somanath thanked all those who prayed for the mission's success, and ISRO veterans like A S Kiran Kumar , the space agency's former chief.
The CNG-based vehicle features Hydrogen stored in high-pressure bottles on the top of the bus.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration astronaut Colonel Michael (Mike) Fincke, a veteran of two space expeditions of total duration of over 365 days, on Friday termed the Indian Space Research Organisation's Chandrayaan-1 mission a grand success, despite the abrupt end to the mission due to a technical problem.
The police has stepped up vigil across Bengaluru after copies of letters threatening a terror attack were found at vital installations, including the Indian Space Research Organisation facility and the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Another major announcement that came was an MoU signed between GE and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to jointly produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force.
The National Aeronautics and Space Agency on Thursday revealed that India's maiden lunar mission Chandrayaan-I spacecraft had traced water molecules on the lunar surface of the moon.
