Article Posted on : - Jan 13, 2009

ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair being conferred with an honorary DSc degree by Vice Chancellor Laxman Chaturvedi at the 15th convocation of Pt Ravi Shankar Shukla University in Raipur, Chhattisgarh on Monday. PTI Photo

RAIPUR (PTI): Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman G Madhavan Nair on Monday said that the successful of Chandrayan-1 mission has enabled the scientific community in the country to get a complete picture of the moon's surface and that too to an extent of five-metre resolution.

“Though several moon missions were there in the past, no mission had provided pictures and data about the entire surface of the moon. However, Chandrayan-1 is the first mission which will give data on the entire surface,” Nair said.

“It is also sending pictures of moon's surface to the extent of five metre resolution, which no other country is currently getting. Even the US is not getting that quality of picture of Moon,” Nair said.

Nair said even the US, the leading country in the field of space science research, is getting pictures of the moon's surface in 100-metre resolution.

At a talk on 'Indian Space Programme' the ISRO chief said the pictures sent by the mission would help India exploring the Moon's surface in a better way and identify minerals on the surface.

“In last two months Chandrayan-1 has sent more than 40,000 images to the base station,” Nair said.

Nair said the Indian Space agency would be able to complete manned moon mission by 2015 AD and added that the transponder capacity would be increased to 500 by the end of 11th Plan period. At present ISRO is operating 211 transponders.

Later while answering a question on the importance of manned mission to the moon as the US had its men on the moon more than 40 years ago, Nair said, the idea was conceived as there was public pressure. He said, “India has to have its man on the moon as space is going to be the next frontier in the coming days.” He urged the youth to stay in the country and work for its development.

“It is sad state of affairs as students being trained here are being lured away by big-money from foreign soil,” Nair said adding, “Students coming out from universities and technical institutions should work for the development of the country.”