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Topic Name: Google Earth Worries ISRO Chief
Category: Telecommunication
Research persons: Mr G Madhavan Nair
Location: New BEL Road, Bangalore 560 094, India
Details
The Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) chief has expressed concern at
high-resolution satellite images offered by Google and said authorities
should hold a dialogue with it over the display of imagery of some of the
country's sensitive locations.
"...Some of the places, they have collected images from foreign satellites
and that comes to one metre (resolution) and better. For example if you take
Bangalore or Delhi, they have given fine pictures -- which normally one is not
supposed to do," ISRO chief G
Madhavan Nair told to a private news channel.
Google Earth, a website launched by the Internet search engine last year,
allows users to access the satellite photos.
"I think our defence agencies should be worried about it. They have to work
out some method by which we can (do something)...We need not display anything,"
Nair remarked.
Several governments, including South Korea and Thailand, have expressed
similar concerns.
"We have to have a dialogue with them, convince them that in the global
interest, especially in the security environment we are facing today, we should
not be putting fine details on a public domain," Nair said when asked how
Google can be stopped from displaying images
of sensitive locations.
About ISRO:
Indian space programme driven by vision of Dr Vikram Sarabhai considered as
the father of Indian Space Programme.
"There are some who question the relevance of space activities in a
developing nation. To us, there is no ambiguity of purpose. We do not have the
fantasy of competing with the economically advanced nations in the exploration
of the moon or the planets or manned space-flight. But we are convinced that if
we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we
must be second to none in the application of advanced technologies to the real
problems of man and society. "
Government of India set
up Space Commission and Department of Space (DOS) in June 1972. Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) under DOS executes Space programme through its
establishments located in different places in India.
Main objective of space
programme includes development of satellites, launch vehicles, Sounding Rockets
and associated ground systems.
Crossed several major milestones.
Experimental phase
included Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE),
Satellite
Telcommunication Experiment (STEP), remote sensing application projects,
satellites like Aryabhata, Bhaskara, Rohini and APPLE and launch vehicles, SLV-3
and ASLV.
Present operational space
systems include Indian National Satellite (INSAT) for tele-communication,
television broadcasting, meteorology and disaster warning and Indian Remote
Sensing Satellite (IRS) for resources monitoring and management.
Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle (PSLV) used for launching IRS Satellites and Geosynchronous Satellite
Launch Vehicle (GSLV), intended for launching INSAT class of satellites.
Space Science activities include SROSS and IRS-P3 satellites, participation in
international science campaigns and ground systems like MST Radar.
ISRO's co-operative
arrangements cover several countries and space agencies.
ISRO provides training in space field to personnel from other countries.
ISRO's hardware and services available commercially through Antrix Corporation.
Contact Details:
Director - Publications & Public Relations
Antariksh Bhavan
New BEL Road, Bangalore 560 094, INDIA
Phone: +91- 80-341 5275 & 341 5474
Fax: +91-80-341 2253
Email: info@isro.org
About Researcher:
Mr G Madhavan Nair
Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation
Chairman, Space Commission
Secretary, Department of Space
Government of India
Mr Madhavan Nair was born on October 31, 1943 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He
graduated in Engineering from Kerala University in 1966 and underwent training
at Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC), Bombay. He joined Thumba Equatorial
Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in 1967. Since then, he has held various
positions posting illustrious milestones on his way to the present position.
Mr Madhavan Nair is currently the Chairman of Indian Space Research Organization
entrusted with the responsibility of development of space technology and its
applications to solve the problems of man & society in India.
During his tenure as Chairman, ISRO/Secretary, DOS, 14 successful missions were
accomplished i.e.,, INSAT-3E, RESOURCESAT-1, EDUSAT, CARTOSAT-1, HAMSAT-1,
INSAT-4A, PSLV-C5, GSLV-F1, PSLV-C6, CARTOSAT-2, INSAT-4B, SRE-1, PSLV-C7 and
PSLV-C8 . He has taken initiatives towards development of futuristic
technologies to enhance the space systems capabilities as well as to reduce the
cost of access to space. He has given major thrust for evolving application
programmes such as tele-education and telemedicine for meeting the needs of
society at large. As on today, more than 10,000 classrooms have been connected
under the EDUSAT network and telemedicine is extended to 221 hospitals – 181 in
remote/rural/district hospitals including 8 mobile units and 40 super speciality
hospitals. He has initiated schemes for Village Resource Centres through
satellite connectivity which aims at improving the quality of life of the poor
people in the villages. More than 200 VRCs are facilitating access to spatial
information on important aspects like land use/land cover, soil and ground water
prospects and enable the farmers in taking important decisions based on their
query. VRCs also enable online interaction between the local farmers and
agricultural scientists. It also provides information of many governmental
schemes, farming system, action plans based on weather, community specific
advice on soil and water conservation, etc.
Mr Madhavan Nair is a leading technologist in the field of rocket systems and
has made significant contributions to the development of multi-stage satellite
launch vehicles, achieving self-reliance in independent access to space using
indigenous technologies. Impressed with his numerous contributions to the
development of the first Indian Satellite Launch Vehicle SLV-3, he was tasked
with the responsibility of developing the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle as its
Project Director. PSLV has become the workhorse launcher for India helping in
establishing end-to-end capability in the remote sensing arena. He led composite
team of scientists and engineers in research & development activities in multi
disciplinary areas such as System Design, Aeronautics, Structures, Propulsions,
Avionics, Integration and Checkout, etc., for realization of PSLV.
In his tenure as the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre from
1995-99, India’s efforts towards indigenous development of cryogenic technology
took concrete shape and vital infrastructures were built and critical
technologies were developed. In his role as the Director of VSSC from 1999 till
he took over the present position, Shri G.Madhavan Nair led VSSC, the largest
Centre of ISRO with about six thousand employees working in various engineering
and scientific disciplines towards the development of India’s Geo-synchronous
Satellite Launch Vehicle – GSLV capable of orbiting 2000 kg class of satellite
into Geo Transfer Orbit, which had its successful flight in the very first
attempt, and declared operational after its successful flight in 2003. He was
also responsible for charting the road map for future development of ISRO’s
activities, especially in the launch vehicle area targeting low cost access to
space.
Mr Madhavan Nair as Chairman, Space Commission is responsible for chalking out
the future plan for space research in the country. Major thrust are in
scientific exploration of outer space using the ASTROSAT and Chandrayaan (moon)
missions apart from implementing schemes for telemedicine, tele-education and
disaster management support systems. He is also providing guidance and
leadership in undertaking new technology developments related to launch vehicle,
spacecrafts for communication, remote sensing and applications programmes to
meet societal needs.
In the international arena, Mr Madhavan Nair has led the Indian delegations for
bilateral cooperation and negotiations with many Space Agencies and Countries,
specially with France, Russia, Brazil, Israel, etc., and has been instrumental
in working out mutually beneficial international cooperative agreements. Mr
Madhavan Nair has led the Indian delegation to the S&T Sub-Committee of United
Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-COPUOS) since 1998.
Mr Madhavan Nair’s focus has always been to achieve self-reliance in the high
technology areas and to bring the benefits of space technology to the national
development, specially targeting the needs of the rural and poor sections of the
society.
Related Links:
http://geology.com/google-earth/
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Google_Earth_Worries_ISRO_Chief_999.html
http://www.isro.org/mnair/index.htm
http://www.isro.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_satellite
http://www.sat.dundee.ac.uk/pdus.html
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