“Good Project”: Scientist Nambi Narayanan On Aditya L1 Launch

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India]: Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientist Nambi Narayanan said that the launch of Aditya L1, the first space-based Indian observatory to study the sun, is a “good project” and there is no “dearth of knowledge” in ISRO.

“It is a study project, they’re going to study (Sun) at a distance of 15 lakhs kilometres. They are trying to understand the core. It is a good project. In ISRO we have no dearth of knowledge or intelligence or anything. Originally, in ISRO we had an attitude that we will be everything, we will not allow anybody else to get it…,” Nambi Narayanan said speaking to media.

ISRO announced the launch of Aditya-L1, the first space-based Indian observatory to study the sun, on September 2.

Speaking about the nascent days of ISRO, the former scientist said, “During the previous government, when we started in 1962-63, we were only 20-23 people. When the first rocket was launched…it was on a borrowed rocket. Only three buildings were there back then.”

On ISRO-ACP cooperation, Nambi Narayanan said people should not look at it “politically” but it was only for lack of money.

“If we had the required funding why should we go for that collaboration? It started for want of money. Many people do not know and look at it politically. But the hard truth is that we did not have the money,” he said.

Speaking about the failure of the SLVs, he said, “People were mocking us. ISRO did not have the respect at that time that it today commands.

On the lack of funding for ISRO, Nambi Narayanan said, “My project Liquid Propulsion System suffered for want to money. I dont blame any government. They (The government) did not have faith in ISRO at that timeframe…”

Elaborating on the reason for such lack of confidence, Nambi Narayan said, “The reason may be that it is not your priority, you have not understood what is our priority, you could have thought that this was not required, you did not have faith…”

Speaking about the benefits for ISRO after the introduction of private players in the country’s space program, Nambi Narayan said, “When private parties come in, they have a lot of funding, so you do not have to find the funding from the government. One should not tax the taxpayer’s money for error. We should collect the money from different agencies who have vested interest because after all, it is a business.”

Making his point by describing a hypothetical situation, the former scientist said, “Suppose Elon Musk is trying for a cheap launch capability, you are in a unique position. You have proven that you are trustworthy…you have the required ability to do the job. If Elon Musk is asking for your space system, you win because you have the job, he wins because he is getting the same thing for a small price. So you do not have to provide the funding, it automatically comes.”

Speaking about the hesitation of the government for bringing in private players into India’s space program, he said, “The government is afraid that it will be difficult to keep secrecy… By proper documentation and agreements,…this will give a boost. I am sure about that.”
However, the former scientist cautioned that these private players need to be educated and trained so that they can do business.

“They have to be educated and trained…they have to make money, we cannot ask them to go dry. We in ISRO should take an unbiased view of encouraging these private parties so that things go well,” he said.

Speaking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi coming down to ISRO to congratulate the space scientists, he said, “His coming here is better than all the people going there.”