Prime Minister Unveils Satish Dhawan’s Bust at Sriharikota

The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh unveiled the bust of Late Prof Satish Dhawan at Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota on September 21, 2005. Prof Satish Dhawan, after whom the space centre at Sriharikota is named, steered the Indian Space Programme as Chairman, ISRO during 1972-1984. He was a multi-faceted personality and truly one of the most distinguished Indians of our times - a brilliant aeronautical engineer, an outstanding space scientist, a philosopher, a humanist, and above all, a great visionary. Prof Dhawan’s stewardship of ISRO was distinguished by his keen sensitivity to the true needs of a developing nation, a confident appreciation of the ability of ISRO’s scientists and engineers, and the involvement of Indian industry, both public and private. But what was striking about Prof Dhawan was his deep commitment to human values and the use of science and technology for development. The space community in India owes deep gratitude to Prof Dhawan for imbibing in the community an abiding sense of technological excellence, human values, and social commitment.

(From L to R) Mr Raghuveera Reddy, Minister for Agriculture, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Mr Sushil Kumar Shinde, Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister, Mr G Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO and Mr Annamalai, Director, SDSC, SHAR, during the function

Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), is located at Sriharikota, about 80 km north of Chennai. So far, four SLV-3 launch vehicles, four Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicles (ASLV), nine Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV) and three Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicles (GSLV) have been launched from this Centre. The facilities at SDSC include solid propellant production plant, rocket motor static test facility, launch complexes for a variety of rockets, telemetry, telecommand, tracking, data acquisition and processing facilities, and other support services.

A state-of-the-art Second Launch Pad was established recently to cater to more frequent launchings and offers ability to accommodate both present launch vehicles as well as those planned in the coming decade.

Additional facilities are being set up at SDSC for supporting GSLV Mk III programme including
a new plant to process heavier class boosters with 200 tonnes of solid propellant and a static test complex for qualifying the S-200 boosters.

It is indeed very apt that a major centre of ISRO and the spaceport of India has been named after Prof Satish Dhawan.

Address of the Prime Minister during his visit to the SDSC, SHAR, September 21, 2005:
I am delighted to be amongst you at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.This is a
special place as it commemorates the efforts of generations of India’s most accomplished scientists to create a world class space port. It is also a particular pleasure to unveil
a bust of that great pioneer of India’s space programme, Prof Satish Dhawan, after whom this Centre is named.

Prof Dhawan was an outstanding scientist and a memorable personality. I cherish my long personal association with him when I was a Member of Space Commission. He was one of the most distinguished men I have known – a brilliant aeronautical engineer, an outstanding space scientist, a philosopher, a patriot and above all, a great humanist. He combined great personal charm with a deep commitment to social values and an extraordinary objectivity in management. He inspired several generations of students, scientists and administrators to make unceasing efforts, and to refuse to accept failure. Prof Dhawan’s concern for the environment and ecology and his keen interest in all living beings was all-encompassing. I deem it a privilege to have known and worked with Prof Dhawan.

Standing here, I pay tribute to Prof Dhawan’s visionary leadership which helped transform this otherwise isolated island into India’s space port. This Indian window to space now has the capacity to launch spacecraft into orbit and around the Earth, and will soon take us to the moon. This we hope will be a precursor to exploring other planets as well.

Prime Minister addressing the audience

Ladies and Gentlemen,
My association with the ISRO family and our space programme gives me a special sense of pride today. In the last three decades, beginning with modest sounding rockets, such as the one I saw being launched today, ISRO has gone on to record many giant leaps. You have now mastered the design, development and launch of powerful and complex rocket systems. Your capabilities now include Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicles. You have proven that you are equal to the finest in the world, and second to none, in developing complex technologies and using them to serve our development goals. Moreover, you have achieved these milestones with a high success rate. I am told that the last 11 major launches from this Centre have all been highly successful.

It is a matter of particular pride that international technology denial regimes have not impeded your efforts – in fact they have spurred you to greater heights. I am proud to note that among the 16 satellites recently launched by ISRO, four have been from other countries. We have proven to the world that India is a leader in advanced technologies. Your achievements have drawn upon the wealth of talent, skills and sheer brain power in India, and you have remained undeterred by misplaced and anachronistic restrictions. ISRO has indigenously developed an array of sensitive and advanced technologies while maintaining an unblemished record as far as non-proliferation is concerned. This record deserved greater recognition within India and abroad.
Ladies and Gentlemen, A short while ago, I went around the premises and the facilities that have been created. I was impressed by the level of skills that have been mastered and applied here. I have also seen some of the hardware that testifies to the achievements of our space programme, and to your talent, determination and dedication. The country salutes your contribution. This launch center has great significance. From a small beginning it has become one of the major state-of-the-art satellite launch centres in the world. The excellent infrastructure here meets our national requirements and also provides adequate facilities for us to work with international partners.

I am also proud that India has established the largest constellation of remote sensing satellites in the civilian sector. These satellites provide valuable data on natural resources, not only domestically, but also to more than a dozen countries across the world. We also have one of the largest domestic communication satellite systems in the Asia-Pacific region. We make use of our space assets and the most advanced technologies to meet the needs of many national developmental tasks. These include a number of socially beneficial purposes such as tele-education and tele-health, meteorology, natural resources management and disaster warning. Taken together along with other programmes, such as the novel scheme of Village Resource Centres, we can help farmers by providing them data on land use, water resource management, agriculture and weather forecasts. All of these are examples of an innovative approach to using advanced technology for improving the quality of life of the common man in the country.
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The future evolution of nations and economies will be determined not only by possession of technology but also in its effective application to meet developmental needs. We must continually aim at the stars if we are to succeed in meeting our ambitious national goals on the ground.

One such grand programme is our Moon mission - Chandrayaan-1. I look forward to this successful launch of this unmanned Moon-shot from this Centre, using our Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. Chandrayaan-1 will enable our scientific community to embark on more ambitious plans of exploring the universe. The implementation of this programme will add to the international profile of our space community. Not only Chandrayaan, but our other programmes are now eliciting positive responses from international partners.

I therefore reiterate India’s commitment to international cooperation in the scientific exploration of outer space for the benefit of humankind.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Achieving self-reliance in space research and in the application of space technology for national development is the driving force of India’s space programme. The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre at Thiruvananthapuram, ISRO Satellite Centre at
Bangalore and Space Applications Centre at Ahmedabad strive continuously to achieve
this goal.

They are all justly recognized internationally as centres of excellence.

An ambitious plan is in hand for this Centre to meet the challenges of the future. A world-class propellant plant will be set up to meet the demands of the next generation launch vehicle, GSLV-Mk III. A number of other facilities to test and integrate a new generation of satellites are also on the anvil.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
As our space programme moves into higher gear, ISRO will increasingly be called on to meet our growing requirement for access to space for purely civilian purposes. Main key areas of our national effort are dependent on the optimum use of our space assets. Therefore your efforts should be geared to achieve low-cost access to space through innovative space transportation systems. At the same time, while providing these services, you must not compromise in the quest for excellence. We look to you to keep abreast of the latest technologies and to continue to maintain your leadership in this field. I am sure that you will take India to the forefront in the global space arena.

As we reap the benefits of space technology and pledge to strive for higher goals, it is fitting that we pay tribute to the leaders who showed the way.

Let us remember:
• Prof Satish Dhawan whose spirit is ever present on this island to inspire you and
• The vision of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the founding father of our space programme is also a source
of great inspiration and strength. We should also remember the other titans of our space programme, including President Kalam, Prof U R Rao, and many others. Guided by these towering figures, ISRO’s committed efforts have taken India to the horizon and beyond in space technology, and its diverse applications.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
In conclusion, I am particularly pleased that today the Astronautical Society of India is honouring some of our high achievers in the fields of space technology and science. I congratulate Dr K Kasturirangan, who led ISRO with great distinction, on being conferred the Aryabhata Award. This is a very well-deserved recognition of a lifetime of achievement. I also extend my warmest congratulations to the young scientists who are receiving awards today. You are part of a most distinguished community – one that is based on a commitment to excellence and motivated by the spirit of intellectual adventure. May you continue to venture far in spirit and in your attainments.

My sincere thanks and best wishes are with all of you, members of the ISRO family. May your path be blessed.