PSLV making India proud, says Chandrayaan director

Mylswamy Annadurai, Project Director, Chandrayaan-I and II-Moon Mission, distributing degree certificate to a student at an engineering college near Madurai on Saturday. M.K.S.Sreenivasan, college chairman, is seen. Photo: G. Moorthy

Students urged to have right target, right direction and right time

As India gears up for Mission to Mars, the Chandrayaan-Moon Mission Project Director Mylswamy Annadurai said that the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which has become the backbone for the country’s space missions, had attained an iconic status and was making India proud among comity of nations.

“This PSLV launch vehicle which has been putting our satellites around the Earth’s orbit has stupendously moved towards the Moon target through ‘Chandrayaan’ mission. It is the same PSLV that will make India and the Indian Space Research Organisation embark on journey to Mars,” he said. Dr. Annadurai, team leader of ISRO’s Chandrayaan I and II lunar missions, was speaking at the seventh Graduation Day of Vickram College of Engineering at Enathi near here on Saturday. His admiration for the PSLV was expressed in the context of Mars Mission which was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Friday.

India is set to put a spacecraft in the orbit of Mars to study its atmosphere and the launch will be done in November next year from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh with the help of PSLV.

About the duration it takes for the spacecraft to reach Mars, he indicated that it would take about 11 months to land because of distance, time and the long journey. “Suppose we launch it in October 2013, then it will reach Mars sometime in September 2014. Despite the initial hiccups and a few failures, India can leap with a saga of success in space missions only because of PSLV and due to the perseverance of our space scientists,” he said.

Relating the PSLV system with fresh engineering graduates, he urged them not to get dejected, depressed and demoralised at any stage in their life because of disappointments or failures. “Here, in India, our launch vehicle for satellites is the same PSLV. The targets have changed from Earth to Moon to Mars. What is important is the right direction, right time, and right target. Not many youngsters in our country are getting an opportunity to go for higher education. You think like our Mars Mission on whatever you want to become or achieve. Failing once is not a sin. Proceed in life with determination and vigour,” Dr. Annadurai said.

E.K.T. Sivakumar from Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Anna University, urged the students to develop self-confidence and learn out of real-life experiences.

College Chairman M. K. S. Sreenivasan said that engineering students must have an in-depth knowledge in their field and never get depressed. “Always take care of your parents because they poured in hard earned money for your education and you also make learning a lifetime affair.”

Vijay Sreenivas, Director, M. S. Raj Santhosh, secretary, and M. S. Vikram, joint secretary, were among those who attended the ceremony in which over 250 candidates received their degrees.