The Indian space programme, which began on November 21, 1963 with the launch of a Nike Apache rocket from Thumba, recently celebrated 60 years. Dr V R Lalithambika, distinguished scientist and former Director of the Directorate of the Human Spaceflight Programme at ISRO speaks about the journey of India's space programme in the past 60 years.
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Speaker 1: The Indian Space program began on November 21st, 1963 with
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Speaker 1: the launch of the Nike Apache rocket from Tumba. The
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Speaker 1: launch was an international effort under the United Nations. The
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Speaker 1: rocket came from the US, the sodium vapor payload from
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Speaker 1: France and the range clearance from an M four helicopter
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Speaker 1: from the then Soviet Union.
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Speaker 1: The rocket and payload engineers were Indians. We have come
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Speaker 1: a long way since today, India's space program has reached
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Speaker 1: coveted heights under the leadership of the Indian Space Research
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Speaker 1: Organization
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Speaker 1: with Chandra and three. We have become the first nation
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Speaker 1: to land on Moon's South Pole with Ghanian. We are
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Speaker 1: navigating new heights in human spaceflight capability and with Aditya
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Speaker 1: El One, we are navigating the mysteries of the Sun.
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Speaker 1: Hi, you're listening to on Manorama Explainer podcast newsbreak, a
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Speaker 1: weekly show that breaks down news in a clutter free manner.
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Speaker 1: This is Harita Benjamin and today's episode is dedicated to
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Speaker 1: the 60 years of the Indian Space program.
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Speaker 1: Today we have with us, Doctor Wear LGA, distinguished scientist
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Speaker 1: and former director of the Directorate of Human Space Flight
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Speaker 1: program at the Ira Specialist in advanced launched vehicle technology.
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Speaker 1: Dr Laliga has worked extensively on various ISO rockets, particularly
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Speaker 1: the PSLV. She has also led the space agency's prestigious project,
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Speaker 1: the Gagan mission.
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Speaker 1: She was recently conferred with the top French civilian honor
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Speaker 1: of Chevalier de la Legio Donne. So, congratulations, Doctor Laam Bear.
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Speaker 1: Thank you so much for joining us today. Thank
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Speaker 2: you, Harita.
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Speaker 2: I look forward to our conversation.
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Speaker 1: All right. So, uh it's been 60 years since the
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Speaker 1: launch of uh Indian space program in 1963. And around
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Speaker 1: the same time, you were also taking your baby steps
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Speaker 1: a few miles away from Tumba, right? And uh you
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Speaker 1: have joined VSC around 25 years later and also became
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Speaker 1: a part of Isro thereafter. Now, if you are to
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Speaker 1: look back, what do you think of the growth of
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Speaker 1: uh Indian Space program and what has it achieved so
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Speaker 1: far
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Speaker 2: as you rightly put it? I also grew up along
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Speaker 2: with the Indian Space program. Initially, we were just launching
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Speaker 2: sounding rockets. We didn't have our own space infrastructure at
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Speaker 2: that point of time. But over the years slowly, we
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Speaker 2: have built up our launch vehicle capability
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Speaker 2: from the PSLV to the GSLV Mach three, which is
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Speaker 2: a really heavy lift launch vehicle.
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Speaker 2: And we have achieved our founding father, Doctor Vikram Sarabhai
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Speaker 2: vision to benefit space for the common man. And we
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Speaker 2: have moved beyond that. So now we have a wide
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Speaker 2: variety of missions, both the scientific missions, the space exploration
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Speaker 2: missions and a wide variety of applications.
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Speaker 2: And we have the launch infrastructure
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Speaker 2: which is uh the Ricotta and we also have a
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Speaker 2: large number of space assets which we are maintaining, right?
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Speaker 2: And in addition to all this, we are able to
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Speaker 2: carry out launches for other countries as well.
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Speaker 2: So definitely the Indian Space program has reached a a
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Speaker 2: level of maturity and there are now a lot of
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Speaker 2: friends who are also coming in and uh this is
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Speaker 2: going to become even more vibrant in the US,
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Speaker 1: right? Uh So I know this is gonna be a
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Speaker 1: difficult question. But if you were to pick a favorite
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Speaker 1: moment in India space history, what would it be and
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Speaker 1: why
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Speaker 2: you are right? It is definitely a difficult question. Uh
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Speaker 2: Probably
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Speaker 2: one would be uh remembering or the most memorable
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Speaker 2: instance would be where one is directly associated with. So
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Speaker 2: I will pick two such a very challenging uh events.
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Speaker 2: The first one which I would say is the first
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Speaker 2: launch of the GSLD Mach three. Now, it's called the
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Speaker 2: LVM three. So that is our heavy lift launch vehicle,
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Speaker 2: which I was mentioning at that time, the cryogenic stage
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Speaker 2: was uh in just getting developed. So we had the
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Speaker 2: first experimental mission, it was called an LVN three X
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Speaker 2: mission
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Speaker 2: where we had the first two stages. And on top,
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Speaker 2: we had another mission that was the crew module reentry
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Speaker 2: experiment and it was called a care mission. So that
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Speaker 2: was also a precursor to the Human Space program.
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Speaker 2: So it was a it was a resounding success and
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Speaker 2: it gave so much of satisfaction to all of us
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Speaker 2: who were involved, both the mari part and also the
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Speaker 2: care mission where the module was brought down and it
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Speaker 2: splashed down safely in the ocean. And gave us a
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Speaker 2: lot of confidence on the external uh characteristics and the
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Speaker 2: thermal characteristics of the crew module,
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Speaker 2: which uh definitely that experience has come in very useful.
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Speaker 2: Later on. I would also like to mention a different
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Speaker 2: class of launch vehicles that is the reusable launch vehicles.
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Speaker 2: The shape is like an like an airplane. So we
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Speaker 2: had a, we had a demonstrator and this is really
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Speaker 2: a technology for the future. And that also was a
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Speaker 2: great where the control is done through the aerodynamic surfaces
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Speaker 2: as in an aircraft.
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Speaker 2: These are the two ones which I can not right now,
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Speaker 1: right? Uh So, I mean, obviously there are also perks
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Speaker 1: and you know, there are also disappointments, right? Uh So
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Speaker 1: in your long career, if you were to uh you know,
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Speaker 1: pick out an upsetting or disappointing moment, then what would
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Speaker 1: it be?
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Speaker 2: So the first thing I would like to say is
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Speaker 2: that as a scientist, you know,
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Speaker 2: uh even something which uh is is upsetting or disappointing
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Speaker 2: that those emotions are uh very momentary, we immediately look
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Speaker 2: at it as a great challenge.
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Speaker 2: So definitely those are the moments where we had the
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Speaker 2: failures starting from the first PSLV failure, then we have
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Speaker 2: had in GSLV, then we had in Chandra and two.
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Speaker 2: So there are moments which are very uh potentially very upsetting.
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Speaker 2: But generally as scientists and as engineers, what we focus
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Speaker 2: on is uh what
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Speaker 2: could have gone wrong, why it has gone wrong? How
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Speaker 2: do we rectify it? How do we ensure that it
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Speaker 2: never happens again? So we look at it as a
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Speaker 2: huge learning experience and we emotionally distance ourselves from these
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Speaker 2: feelings while we go ahead and do what needs to
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Speaker 2: be
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Speaker 1: done. I think that's something a message which we should
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Speaker 1: take in life as well. You know, everything should be
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Speaker 1: a stepping stone, even mistakes, right? So uh so nice
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Speaker 1: of you to take it that way, ma'am
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Speaker 1: anyway. Uh So moving on uh another aspect which has
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Speaker 1: been highlighted by the Western media and other space agencies
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Speaker 1: like the NASA, for instance, is that uh our top
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Speaker 1: notch space programs are always executed with a limited budget.
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Speaker 1: So uh did you ever feel that, you know, the
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Speaker 1: budget constraint is holding back when it comes to innovation
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Speaker 1: uh or has it motivated you to become a more innovative?
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Speaker 2: See Harita, we are a developing country and when our
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Speaker 2: program was starting out, I would say we were just
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Speaker 2: becoming a developing country now, we are much better. So
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Speaker 2: we have always been conscious that we are using our taxpayers'
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Speaker 2: money and the taxpayer has with the maximum benefit out
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Speaker 2: of the money which is given to us.
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Speaker 2: So the money which is given to us is within
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Speaker 2: the constraints in the country. So it has always, uh
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Speaker 2: I would say it has pushed us to become more
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Speaker 2: and more innovative and the frugal engineering, all those terms
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Speaker 2: you hear, we have learned to make optimal use of
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Speaker 2: whatever resources we have,
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Speaker 1: right? So uh you were, you just mentioned that you
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Speaker 1: were an integral part of PSLV. And this is one
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Speaker 1: of the, you know, most uh wonderful moments which you
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Speaker 1: had in your career. So uh could you share your
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Speaker 1: experience working with the same? And you know, from the, the,
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Speaker 1: the first uh the problematic launch uh to the successful
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Speaker 1: missions which came and uh could you probably, you know,
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Speaker 1: share your experience uh about the PSLV experience?
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Speaker 2: Certainly when I joined in 1988 the PSLV, the overall
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Speaker 2: structure of the vehicle was finalized. So it would have
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Speaker 2: solid stages, it would have two liquid stages and it
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Speaker 2: would have strap strap ons all that was finalized. Uh
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Speaker 2: But I had specialized in control design and uh we
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Speaker 2: had a small team working on the control design of
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Speaker 2: the
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Speaker 2: uh that's the autopilot design, it's called of the PSLD.
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Speaker 2: And the PSLD vehicle is very different from the earlier
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Speaker 2: one which came, which was the A SL which is
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Speaker 2: an all, all solid rocket. So there were challenges in
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Speaker 2: understanding the system in modeling it and then evolving what
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Speaker 2: works for uh this system.
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Speaker 2: And we had also one of the disappointments that you
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Speaker 2: are mentioning, which actually was a great learning experience in
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Speaker 2: the first launch of the PSLB, which happened in nine
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Speaker 2: 93. So there was a failure and uh that was
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Speaker 2: traced to the onboard software and that software happened to
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Speaker 2: be the software responding to the control system. And uh
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Speaker 2: we learned such a lot from that, the importance of
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Speaker 2: software testing by itself. And it was not just the failure,
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Speaker 2: it didn't happen, right in the beginning, it was after
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Speaker 2: the second stage. And we saw there were other anomalies
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Speaker 2: in the other, even in the second stage would not
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Speaker 2: have caused mission failure, but definitely the modeling uh uh
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Speaker 2: knowledge which we had that also got really augmented by this.
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Speaker 2: We built up an entire system to make sure that
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Speaker 2: there would not be any such failures for the PSLD.
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Speaker 2: And the very next year, we came back with 100%
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Speaker 2: successful launch.
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Speaker 2: And uh since then PSLB has not looked back, it's
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Speaker 2: called the work of this kind of versatile. And then
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Speaker 2: it was really a stepping stone to the the higher
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Speaker 2: lift capability launch vehicle and it continues to be there
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Speaker 2: very much in our uh arena of launch vehicle,
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Speaker 1: right. So now let's talk about Gian, uh how far
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Speaker 1: ahead is the project now and you've been an integral
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Speaker 1: part of it since the beginning? Right?
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Speaker 1: So, uh when can we expect to see its completion?
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Speaker 1: Could you elaborate a bit on the project?
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Speaker 2: Uh I will, I will just tell you see that
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Speaker 2: uh this is a program, it's a national program. It's a,
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Speaker 2: it's not just this Rules program, it's a national program.
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Speaker 2: It's being undertaken by our country for the first time.
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Speaker 2: We have had no experience of uh
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Speaker 2: I taking a human being to space and then uh
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Speaker 2: maintaining him or her there safely and bringing them back
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Speaker 2: to earth. We didn't, we don't have any experience. So
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Speaker 2: we need, we need to that knowledge. It's a gap
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Speaker 2: in our knowledge. So that's what we are trying to
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Speaker 2: achieve with Gina. But uh since humans are involved, uh
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Speaker 2: there are so many new things which we need to learn,
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Speaker 2: we need to have human centric products. We need to
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Speaker 2: make sure that safety.
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Speaker 2: Anyway, we have the mission reliability, but this is a
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Speaker 2: safety critical mission. It's not the objective of attaining a
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Speaker 2: particular orbit. It is to make sure that humans are
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Speaker 2: always safe.
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Speaker 2: So there are robot capabilities which are built in. So
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Speaker 2: all these need to be tested. And I'm sure that
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Speaker 2: you would have yourself seen in the newspapers that there are,
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Speaker 2: there have been a series of tests, the parachutes have
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Speaker 2: been tested to a certain extent. Then the abort system,
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Speaker 2: one test was there all this you would have seen
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Speaker 2: we had a test for TV D one and there
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Speaker 2: are a series of such tests in which will give
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Speaker 2: us the
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Speaker 2: confidence to go ahead. And even once we have that confidence,
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Speaker 2: what we would do would not be to send the
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Speaker 2: human being straight away, we will be sending Andrew B
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Speaker 2: which will be fully instrumented and which, which will also
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Speaker 2: carry the scientific payouts. Keeping in mind not to waste
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Speaker 2: a single rupee of the taxpayers' money. Even those launches
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Speaker 2: have to have further objectives, not just to give confidence.
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Speaker 2: Ok. So, so that will, that will happen and that
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Speaker 2: is slated for this coming year. And uh if once
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Speaker 2: that is 100% OK, you know, then you get the
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Speaker 2: conference and then uh you will go ahead with the
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Speaker 2: human
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Speaker 1: lunch. So uh in 2024 we are expecting uh the
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Speaker 1: final test to happen and maybe uh the next next year,
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Speaker 1: we could uh see the human
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Speaker 1: uh element coming in.
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Speaker 2: Yes, I know right now I have a superannuated from
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Speaker 2: Israel but uh just we, we, I think this has
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Speaker 2: come even in the newspapers that we are planning to
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Speaker 2: have the first hand road mission in the first half
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Speaker 2: of uh next year. And depending on its success, depending
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Speaker 2: on its success, the others will follow. Ok.
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Speaker 1: Yes. OK. Uh So uh to wind up, I have
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Speaker 1: two questions. One is uh the scientist who has inspired
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Speaker 1: you the most uh in all these years because, uh
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Speaker 1: uh you know, it's, it's difficult because you've been a
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Speaker 1: part of the entire process and, you know, you might
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Speaker 1: have come across a, a great many scientists in different fields.
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Speaker 1: So if you were to choose one person who has
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Speaker 1: inspired you uh in India or elsewhere, uh who would
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Speaker 1: it be?
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Speaker 2: Actually, it's not a difficult question for me is a
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Speaker 2: very clear answer. It is Marie Curie.
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Speaker 1: Oh really? OK.
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Speaker 2: Yeah. She was in the 19th century and she lived
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Speaker 2: in a, in a time where women were not having
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Speaker 2: the kind of respect they have. Now, in spite of that,
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Speaker 2: she won not one Nobel Prize but two,
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Speaker 2: she became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.
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Speaker 2: She became the first person to have two Nobel Prizes
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Speaker 2: and the only person to win two Nobel Prizes in
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Speaker 2: two different disciplines, different scientific disciplines that is physics and
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Speaker 2: of course, afterwards,
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Speaker 2: one more, one more. But he won, he won in
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Speaker 2: uh one in scientific and the other was a peace prize.
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Speaker 2: So Mari record even now it remains so it's hugely
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Speaker 2: inspiring for any woman scientist I would say.
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Speaker 2: So I just, she's the
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Speaker 1: one for me. All right. So now you mentioned about,
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Speaker 1: you know how tough it was for women in the
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Speaker 1: past and it's still a little tough, maybe not as
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Speaker 1: much as in the 19th century, but there are limitations
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Speaker 1: for women to pursue their dreams, right? So if you
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Speaker 1: are to give a message to the many aspiring uh
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Speaker 1: space scientists out there, uh especially women, what would it be?
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Speaker 2: Uh what I would say is, see, i it's uh
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Speaker 2: applicable for women as well as for men that we
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Speaker 2: have to identify. What really um what shall I say?
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Speaker 2: What is your passion?
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Speaker 2: Just follow your passion and then you are sure to
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Speaker 2: gain great heights and but you have to keep yourself
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Speaker 2: abreast of the happenings because things keep changing so fast.
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Speaker 2: There are disruptive technologies which are coming and uh it's,
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Speaker 2: it's actually not true only of space. It is true
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Speaker 2: of every domain of life. I'm sure you agree. Give
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Speaker 2: yourself a pu your passion.
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Speaker 1: So
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Speaker 2: that's it. But, but for women,
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Speaker 2: the there are still challenges. Uh We cannot, uh we
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Speaker 2: cannot say that everything is uh perfectly fine. As far
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Speaker 2: as women are concerned, they have to believe in themselves.
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Speaker 2: I feel they have to push beyond the comfort zone,
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Speaker 2: not be afraid of anything,
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Speaker 2: just go ahead and uh definitely fortune will
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Speaker 1: favor you.
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Speaker 1: All right. So that's the word follow your passion and
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Speaker 1: you will achieve your dreams. So, thank you so much
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Speaker 1: for joining us today, Dr Lizama. It was an honor
00:16:28
Speaker 1: to have you on Newsbreak podcast. This is on Manorama
00:16:31
Speaker 1: Newsbreak and Explain a podcast produced by Harita Benjamin, which
00:16:35
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