Pramod Kale gets Aryabhatta award

New Delhi, Aug 12 (ANI): Promod Kale was today awarded the Aryabhatta award 2006 for his outstanding life-time contribution to the promotion of astronomy in India.

Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Prithviraj Chavan gave the award to Kale at a function in New Delhi.

Kale was responsible for the development, technology transfer, deployment, operation and maintenance of the village community Direct Reception Sets for the SITE, the largest technological and social experiment that ushered in the era of Satellite TV broadcasting in India.

He was the first Project Director, INSAT Space Segment Project from 1977 to 1987. The operationalization of the INSAT satellite system in 1983 was the highlight his work.

Kale was responsible for developing the INSAT Master Control Facility at Hassan which has now become a world class facility. He was Mission Director, ISRO Payload Scientist Mission.

Kale was the Director of the Space Applications Center, Ahmedabad and during his work there was responsible for developing many new projects for Communications and Remote Sensing.

He was also Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Center for short period of time. The first successful flight of the PSLV and definition of the GSLV took place when he was the director in 1994.

At the Global wireless Technology Limited he was responsible for establishing the Satellite Communication System for the Maharashtra Government.

He is currently Chairman, Ad-Hoc Board of studies for Space and Atmospheric Science, Pune University and is a Member of the Academic Council, Pune University. (ANI)