Article Posted on : - Jan 15, 2009

The image is of the Red Planet from NASA

KOCHI (PTI): The Indian Space Research Organisation has recently commissioned a world class solid propellant plant at Sriharikota, where the 200 tonne propellant booster meant for the 'Mars programme' was processed, an official of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre said.

"Two months back, we commissioned a world class solid propellant plant at Sriharikota, where we are able to process the 200 tonnes propellant booster meant for the Mars three programme, which will be commissioned in two years," M Chandradathan, director of SHAR, said, delivering the K Unnikrishan Memorial lecture here last night.

On the success of Chandrayaan I, he said it was the result of a team effort under the "visionary leadership" of ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair.

Referring to criticism on the need to have launched Chandrayaan-1 when there had been similar launches all over the world years back, he said ISRO's aim when they started the rocket launch programme in 1964-65 was not for going to the moon or landing on the moon.

"The main aim of ISRO was to concentrate on resource building of the country, how best we can study the country's resources and how best we can make use the resources for the benefit of the common man," he said.