Development of Space in National Technology

The Indian Space Programme, from its very inception, has been geared towards national development. It has harnessed space technology for the benefit of our society right down to the grass roots level. Development of Thought: The remarkable development in space technology and its application during the last three decades have firmly established its immense potential for the development of the human society as a whole. Space platforms are now being extensively used for reaching global communication even into remote rural areas, for worldwide monitoring of weather and for conservation, monitoring and management of natural resources thus significantly contributing to the development of human society. With the rapid progress achieved, the remote sensing applications in India now cover diverse fields such as the agricultural crop acreage and yield estimation, drought warning and assessment, flood control and damage assessment, land use/land cover mapping, wasteland management, urban development, mineral prospecting, forest survey, etc. Thus covering almost all facets of national development. Space Technology has also revolutionized communication, especially long distance telecommunication, nationwide TV and radio broadcasting. Conclusion: With proper planning and optimum utilization of space technology, it is hoped that by the time India enters the next century, it would have overcome the national problems of hunger and illiteracy. The Indian Space Programme from its very inception aimed at an integrated development of space technology to harness its potential for the identified tasks of the country. Through a well conceived path of development, starting with technology build up, experimental programmes, development of application areas, education of user agencies and timely operationalisation of space services, the Indian Space Programme has ensured that the vast benefits from the space reach the very grassroots of our society.