The Indian space programme was driven by the vision of Dr Vikram Sarabhai,
considered the father of Indian Space Programme. As he said in 1969:
“
There are some who question the relevance of space activities in a developing
nation. To us, there is no ambiguity of purpose. We do not have the fantasy of
competing with the economically advanced nations in the exploration of the
Moon or the planets or manned space-flight. But we are convinced that if we
are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we
must be second to none in the application of advanced technologies to the real
problems of man and society.
”
This view has changed in recent years, particularly with the Indian economy growing
manifold year after year. In the previous decade, India has launched two space
explorers: first the Chandrayaan-1 probe to the Moon in 2008 and the Mangalyaan
probe to Mars late last year.
A model representing Chandrayaan-1.
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Credit: Wikimedia
Chandrayaan-1 was India's first unmanned lunar probe. It was launched by the Indian
Space Research Organisation in October 2008, and operated until August 2009. The
mission included a lunar orbiter and an impactor, the Moon Impact Probe.
It has always been a dream of man to be able to settle on the moon. The Moon is also
seen as the answer to the problem of the growing human population and resultant
increasing resource requirements. Recent moon spacecraft have been exploring the
moon for locations and conditions for a human settlement on the Moon.