Ahmedabad. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in association with Aeronautical Society of India (ASI) have organised a programme to felicitate the persons, who have made significant contributions to the Indian Space Programme.
The Awards instituted by ISRO as well as ASI were given at a function organised at ISRO’s Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmadabad February 25, 2016. ASI is a professional society set up in 1990 serving for the promotion of astronautics and space in the country through dissemination of knowledge and information related to the subject.
Also during the function, a book “Integrated Design for Space Transportation System†authored by Dr BN Suresh, former Director of ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and Dr K Sivan, current Director, VSSC, was released by Chief Guest Dr R Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of India.
AS Kiran Kumar, Chairman, ISRO and President, ASI released the new ASI website and spoke on the occasion highlighting the importance of the recognition of the various contributions to the Indian Space Programme.
Addressing the distinguished gathering, Dr Chidambaram, appreciated the achievements of ISRO and the efforts of the authors of the book “Integrated Design for space Transportation System†in bringing out a quality publication at par with foreign authors.
The presented ISRO awards for 2012, 2013 and 2014 were Life time Achievement Award, Outstanding Achievement Award and Performance Excellence Award.
Dr K Radhakrishnan, former Chairman, ISRO, received ISRO Life Time Achievement Award 2014, for his contribution to Indian Space Programme. Besides, Outstanding Achievement Award for 2012 was awarded to Mr M Chandradathan, former Director of VSSC; Prof BL Deekshatulu, former Director, National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad; Prof J N Goswami, former Director, Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmadabad; Dr MYS Prasad, former Director, Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota and Dr SK Shivakumar, former Director, ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bangalore.
Outstanding Achievement Award for 2014 was received by Dr V Adimurthy, Honorary Distinguished Professor ISRO; Dr M Annadurai, Director, ISAC; Dr M Annamalai, Former director, SDSC SHAR; Dr V Jayaraman, former Director, NRSC; Mr RV Perumal, former Director, Liquid Propulsion System Centre, Trivandrum.
Astronautical Society of India awards given during the function were Aryabhata Award for the year 2012 and 2013, ASI Awards for year 2012 and 2013, ISRO-ASI Awards for year 2012 and 2013 and ‘Space Gold Medal’ Awards for the year 2012 and 2013.
Dr Ranganath R Navalgund, former Director, SAC and Dr Avinash Chander, former Secretary, Defence R&D and Director General, DRDO were given the Prestigious Aryabhata Award for 2012 and 2013 respectively.
The function also featured an Invited Talk by Prof Somak Raychoudhury, Director, Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune on “Why do we need to go to space to see the skyâ€.
