As part of India@75 ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence, the Embassy of India organized an interactive session on August 4 on “India’s Space Program- An Incredible Journey!.”
The keynote speaker for the event was Distinguished Scientist and Scientific Secretary R. Umamaheswaran of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), who addressed Bhutan’s space engineers and science students from three schools and one college: Lungtenzampa Middle Secondary School, Motithang Higher Secondary School, Royal Academy, Paro and Royal Thimphu College.
According to the Indian Embassy, the ISRO was formed with a vision to harness space technology for India’s national development while pursuing space science research and planetary exploration.
The event traced the incredible journey of India’s space program from the early days in the 1960’s when Dr. Vikram Sarabhai formed the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) to ISRO’s present-day status as one of leading space agencies to possess full launch capabilities, operate a large fleet of satellites, deploy cryogenic engines and launch extra-terrestrial missions.
“Space technology is a promising area of India-Bhutan cooperation in accordance with the vision of Prime Minister Modi and His Majesty the King of Bhutan to take the India-Bhutan partnership to new and emerging areas of the 21st century. Pursuant to the India-Bhutan Joint Statement of the state visit issued during the visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Bhutan in August 2019 and the Memorandum of Understanding between India and Bhutan on cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space signed on November 19, 2020, India and Bhutan are currently collaborating on the joint development of a small satellite for Bhutan which is expected to be launched by the end of 2021,” states the press release from the Embassy of India Thimphu.
Ambassador of India to Bhutan Ruchira Kamboj said, “From the Mars Orbiter Mission in 2013 which made India the first country to reach Mars on its maiden attempt and one of the four countries in the world to have achieved this feat, to launching a record breaking 104 satellites through a single rocket in 2017, the Indian Space Program is truly the nation’s pride!.”
Yenten Thinley from Thimphu
