The world will see the power of new India; ISRO will launch a huge 6,500 kg satellite for America

India, which began its journey in space with a tiny rocket it received from America, will be putting America's 6,500 kg communication satellite into space within a few months. Indian Space Agency ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan made the statement at the convocation on Sunday.

The head of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science by Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan during SRM Institute of Science and Technology's 21st convocation ceremony in Kattankulathur near Chennai.

Narayanan said, "In the next few months, a country that got a small rocket from America is going to launch a 6,500 kg communication satellite made by America from India using its own rocket. What a significant progress it is. The country which did not have satellite technology 50 years ago, ISRO has till date launched 433 satellites of 34 countries using its rockets."

The mission will bring space collaboration between India and America to new heights following the historic NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission. NISAR was launched in July by ISRO's GSLV-F16 rocket.

Recalling the golden history of ISRO, Narayanan said that ISRO was established in 1963. At that time the country was six-seven years behind the technologically developed countries. In the same year, America gave India a small rocket, which laid the foundation of the space program. In 1975, ISRO demonstrated 'mass communication' by placing 2,400 television sets in 2,400 villages in six states through satellite data provided by the US.

"After a kind of humble beginning, July 30 was a historic day for the Indian space programme when we launched NISAR. It is the world's most expensive satellite till date. It carries L-band SAR payload from the US and S-band payload from India. NISAR was precisely placed in orbit by Indian rocket GSLV. Today, we stand shoulder to shoulder with advanced nations," Narayanan said.