‘India today has best camera in moon’s orbit

PLAYING ITS PART IN NATIONAL SECURITY

- Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) ‘Chairman V Narayanan

spoke with Satarupa Bhattacharjya of Business Standard at the Blueprint Discourse in New Delhi on Saturday about setting up India’s space station in the future, a human spaceflight, and planned moon landing, as well as the ‘strategic importance of satellites. Edited excerpts:

You took charge of the Isro in January. Howis India contributing toglobal space research?

Chandrayaan-3’s success was a landmark in our space journey. It has given confidence to every one ofus, not only at the Isro but also across the nation. Every Indian felt proud at that moment. It has given us the courage totake up more challenging missions, and that is the most important outcome.

India has the best camera in the moon's orbit today. We are also the only country to have soft-landed nearthe south pole of the moon.

We have found eight minerals on the moon’ssurface. Our probe has taken the temperature profile (among other things). Our rover has found some places on the moon that have seismic activity (similar to earthquakes).

India has planned a moon landingby 2040. That would be 71 years since the first moon landing. Whatis expected tobe found in the future mission?

Weare inthe preliminary stage of studying this. Our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given me adirection and guidelines to work on this mission — we are to land our Indian brothers or sisters on the moon, using our own rocket and bring them back safely, of course, after carrying out alot of experiments. This is the objective of the mission.