One of the major strides we have taken in the last three decades is in the field of space. It is significant that today the country has established a viable, self-reliant space program that is precisely tuned towards national development tasks.

Making a modest beginning in 1963 with the launch of a small sounding rocket from Thumba, near Thiruvananthapuram, we have come a long way in establishing space systems like the Indian National Satellite (INSAT) and Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellite systems that form a crucial element of our national infrastructure for telecommunication, television broadcasting, meteorology, resources survey and management. We have succeeded in building our own satellites - INSAT and IRS satellites and even designed and commissioned our own Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), for launching the IRS class of satellites. We are now in the process of developing a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) for launching the INSAT class satellites as well.

Strides:

The space program has been well orchestrated since its inception. We went through the experimental and demonstration phase in the 70's when we conducted large-scale experiments like Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) and Satellite Telecommunication Experiment Project (STEP). Simultaneously, we built experimental satellites like the Aryabhatta, Bhaskara and APPLE that paved the way for the establishment of INSAT and IRS systems which we commissioned during the 80's.

Today, our IRS system comprises a constellation of four satellites including IRS-IC and IRS-1D which are considered as the world's best civilian remote sensing satellites. The data from these satellites have been put to several applications - agriculture, crop acreage and yield estimation, ground water targeting, forest survey, wasteland mapping for possible reclamation, snow-melt run-off estimates, irrigation, command area management, mineral prospecting, identification of potential fishing zones, urban planning, environment monitoring - to mention a few. The unique capabilities of remote sensing satellites have enabled us to initiate an Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development under which we generate locale-specific plans for land and water resources development. The high spatial resolution data from our IRS-1C and IRS-1D satellites have found new applications in the areas of urban sprawl mapping, infrastructure planning and other large - scale thematic mapping.

Our capability in building and operating world class remote sensing satellites has also benefited us commercially. Data from our IRS satellites is now acquired and used by several countries including those in North America, Europe, Thailand, Japan, Korea and Dubai under commercial agreements. More countries are expected to receive the data soon.

We are determined to keep up our leadership in space-based remote sensing through the launch of advanced satellites like IRS-P4 for ocean remote sensing, IRS-P5 for cartographic application and IRS-P6 for resources survey. IRS-P4 is already planned for launch in 1999 on board our PSLV.

Our Satellite System:

Our INSAT system is one of the largest domestic communication satellite systems in the world with five satellites. Three of them -INSAT-2A, INSAT-2B and INSAT-2C- were built indigenously. INSAT, since its commissioning in 1983, has brought in a vast improvement in telecommunications, television broadcasting, radio networking, meteorology and disaster management services. We have continued to emphasize the importance of using space technology for grass-root level applications; the Jhabua Development Communication Project (JDCP) that was started in November 1996 and the extensive use of Training and Developmental Communication Channel (TDCC) of INSAT are some of the examples. We have plans to enhance the INSAT system through the launch of INSAT-2E in 1999 which will be followed by five satellites under the INSAT-3 series to meet the growing requirement for transponder capacity and improved meteorological and other services.

With a view to making our space-program fully self-reliant in placing our satellites in the required orbits, we undertook the development of satellite launch vehicles. Based on the experience of building sounding rockets, several of which were launched from Thumba, we started the design of SLV-3 which was capable of launching a modest 40 kg satellites into low earth orbit. SLV-3 had its first successful flight in 1980. We followed it up with the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle, ASLV, that was capable of launching 150 kg class satellites. We had two successful flights of this vehicle in 1992 and 1994. But it was the development of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV, which had its maiden operational flight in September, 1997 when it successfully orbited the 1,200 kg IRS-1D, that indeed heralded the technological self-reliance of India in a critical area.

Expertise:

We now offer PSLV to launch satellites of other countries as well. We have made a beginning. Along with the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite, IRS-P4, the next flight of PSLV will be used to launch two small satellites - the Korean KITSAT and the German TUBSAT as piggyback payloads. Another satellite PROBA of Belgium is also booked on one of the forthcoming flights. We have entered into an agreement with the European launch services provider, Arianespace so that small satellites of scientific agencies and others could be launched by either PSLV or Ariane. We have also made a substantial progress in the development of a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV, that will enable us to launch INSAT class of satellites. The first test flight of GSLV is planned in 1999.

We have pursued international cooperation since the inception of our space program. That has been of mutual benefits. We have participated in international science campaigns; our IRS-P3 satellite carries a German remote sensing payload the data from which finds several applications in ocean remote sensing. We have established the United

Nations-sponsored Center for Space Science and Technology Education which has been providing training to students in Asia-Pacific Region. As the Chairman, we hosted the 12th Plenary of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites recently and we are hosting the second ESCAP Ministerial Conference on Space Applications next year.