Chandrayaan-1 to be launched in 4 months: ISRO chief

Kochi, May 30 (UNI) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman G Madhavan Nair today said the Indian mission to moon, Chandrayaan-1, would be launched within four months.

Addressing a gathering at the convocation ceremony of Keltron Toolroom Research and Training Centre (KELTRAC) at Aroor in Alappuzha district, he said ''Chandrayaan-1, the instrument satellite, would help in getting near to moon and study it better.'' The spacecraft would carry six primary Indian scientific instruments, besides two from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US, three instruments from the European Space Agency and another from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

Mr Nair said ISRO had sponsored the practical use of space technology as vouched by the use of INSAT in connecting 30,000 classrooms through 'Edusat' and 230 hospitals and 40 super-speciality hospitals through Telemedicine.

''The scientific accomplishments of the country are on a par with the other developed nations though we started our scientific quest quite late,'' he noted.

Mr Nair praised the 16,000 workforce of ISRO in sucessfully placing ten satellites in orbit in one mission, second only to Russia.

Criticising the present educational system in commercialising advanced studies, he said ''the system should concentrate on imparting the practical side of science like the advances in gene revolution, IT, nano-technology, bio-technology and microbiology.'' Speaking on the occasion, Kerala Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem said more finishing schools would be set up across the State to make young graduates 'employable' in the industries.

He said there was a shortage of technically qualified people in the State and lauded the efforts of Keltrac in training personnel in tool making.

''The Government is trying to put all State PSUs in a growth trajectory and Keltron in the last two years is on the path of progress and would be back to its old glory,'' the Minister noted.

Thirty-four students were awarded diplomas in tool and die making in the function.

UNI MA GD SY AS1921