There is threat to India’s space systems: Saraswat
By Express News Service - HYDERABAD
25th November 2012 09:21 AM
India’s top missile scientist and head of the Defence Research & Development Organisation believes there is a threat to India’s space systems which act as a major force multiplier in enhancing capabilities of security forces.
“Space systems today have no protection and are too remote to actively protect,” said VK Saraswat, who is also the chief scientific adviser to the defence minister, while speaking at the inauguration of the 26th national convention of aerospace engineers and national seminar here on Saturday.
Speaking on Expanding Frontiers in Aerospace Technologies- Challenges and Opportunities, he stressed the need to address space security along with the cyber warfare as two emerging threats.
“Today, India has nine active communication satellites (out of 24 launched) and 12 payloads in orbit. All it takes is about 50 to 60 antisatellite vehicles to neutralise them. We need a new paradigm, a comprehensive space security plan. We need to develop counter measures. It should be feasible within a decade.”
Talking to students, professors and scientists, Saraswat said: “We should think of small satellite clusters of multiple satellites with distributed resources instead of single large satellites. Future satellite systems should be lighter. Lower launch cost will enable distribution of resources on multiple satellites.”
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Comments(2)
Aerospace technology is equally applicable to ordinary armaments too-like arty shells including base bleed type,long range MLRS,FSAPDS,low drag bombs etc -the import of which have been bleeding is dry while goal post of DRDO has sadly shifted to missiles for the last three decades.Now that India is fast on way to achieving self reliance in missiles which will be mostly in defensive role-DRDO will do well to allocate more resources & much higher priority to the weapons development.After success of Pinaka and having learnt the MLRS technology from Grad & Pinaka- where was the need to import Smerch?What about getting stuck up with FSAPDS while the world has moved to more than 600 mm penetration?Air armaments & Naval armaments being highly specialised field require more than general approachMay be Naval armaments be shifted to NSTL & air armaments to TBRL or some other lab where these can get some attention.
Posted by Air Cmde Raghubir Singh(Retd) at 11/26/2012 06:44 Reply to this Report abuse
The Chief Scientific adviser has currectly put it The satellites to be desinged and sent for usage according to the different purposes communication for public usage/communication for the defence[may be seperately for NAVY/AIRFORCE/ARMY] and for other purposes of the govt. If the cost of the payload & lauching is reduced depending on the usage, surely we can send numerous satelites to our use. Our former PRESIDENT Dr. Kalam who was once in the same post should be consulted on such matters and other reputed scietific persons in this field need to give their suggestions. The satellites life times have to be staggered as theyare part and parcel of day to day life in future for ever and ever for the nation. Do not bring the corrupted politicians and who have no thinking of our nation's proud and protection in these discussions. They have to be discarded in these fields. Atleast let our scietif personnels think of the nation's protection,They should rise much above the normal person's
Posted by venkat at 11/26/2012 07:56 Reply to this Report abuse