PM Modi lauds ISRO’s space feats during US trip

Space: the final frontier. Made in India or make America Great in Space again…. seems to be the question here.

Modi seems to be selling India’s public-private Space ventures:  Move over SpaceX . Time to sell ISRO’s capabilities to the west too!

The Times of India has featured PM Modi speaking up ISRO’s capabilities during his recent visit to the US.

With the Indian space agency achieving several milestones in recent months, PM Narendra Modi, during his current visit to the US, lauded Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) for its rapid advancement in space technology.

While addressing the Indian diaspora in Washington DC on Sunday night, Modi said, “India has earned a big name in space technology. Just two days ago, Isro had launched 31 satellites in one go. A few months ago, we had broken the world record by launching 104 satellites in one go.”

The PM also spoke about Isro’s achievements in launching the country’s heaviest rocket GSLV Mk III on June 5, which made India capable of launching a 4-tonne-class geosynchronous satellite. He said, “We recently launched a rocket whose weight was not counted in kilograms but was compared with the weight of many (200) elephants. Our government’s focus on technology-driven governance, technology-driven society and technology-driven development is showing desired results.”

Space is certainly in Mr. Modi’s agenda. The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar(NISAR) is scheduled to be launched in 2021 but the work has started on it at Pasadena, a suburb of Los Angeles. India has also been forging ahead with a private-public business venture called Team Indus. Team Indus, ISRO aim for January 26, 2018 to plant Tricolour on moon. Team Indus is the only Indian team in this Google-sponsored global effort.

• NDTV asks “Will NASA-ISRO Mega Satellite Pass Trump Test? Scientists On Tenterhooks?”
• India.com adds : “Narendra Modi-Donald Trump meeting in US: NASA-ISRO satellite at stake”