Flashback 2014: Biggest space innovations in India

Bengaluru, Dec 18: India has reached new heights in terms of science, technology and innovation. However, space research in India has met new standards with indigenous innovations. Some of the greatest fetes include:

Jan 3: The GAGAN or the GPS-aided geo-augmented navigation is an implementation of a regional satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) by the Indian government. IT also helps in improvind the accuracy of a GNSS receiver by providing signals. The AAI's efforts in implementing operational SBAS is likely yo help in improving the communication, navigation and surveillance/Air Traffic Management System over Indian Space. It will be able to help pilots to navigate in the Indian airspace by an accuracy of 3 m. This will be helpful for landing aircraft in tough weather and terrain like Mangalore and Leh airports. The project costs INR7.74 billion.

Sept 24: MOM, the Mars Orbiter Spacecraft or the Mangalyaan, has been successfully orbiting Mars since 24th September 2014. Launched on Nov 5, 2013 by the ISRO, it is India's first interplanetary mission. Moreover, ISRO is the fourth to reach Mars, after the Soviet space program, NASA, and the European Space Agency. The mission is a "technology demonstrator" project to develop the technologies for design, planning, management, and operations of an interplanetary mission. It carries five instruments that will help advance knowledge about Mars to achieve its secondary, scientific objective. The project cost is considered to be the cheapest in the world with Rs 454 crore.

Dec 18: GSLV MK-3 or Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III is a launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space Research Organization. It's main aim is to launch satellites into geostationary orbit and as a launcher for an Indian crew vehicle.

SPOT-7: It is a commercial optical imaging Earth observation satellite system operating from space. It is run by Spot Image, which is based in Toulouse, France. It was initiated by the CNES (Centre national d'études spatiales - the French space agency) in the 1970s and was developed in association with the SSTC (Belgian scientific, technical and cultural services) and the Swedish National Space Board (SNSB). It's main aim is to improve the knowledge and management of the Earth by exploring the Earth's resources, detecting and forecasting phenomena involving climatology and oceanography, and monitoring human activities and natural phenomena.

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