For every Re 1 spent by ISRO, society got Rs 2.50 return: ISRO chief S Somanath

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somanath said in an event on Tuesday that for every rupee that the organisation spent, the society got a multifold return. He highlighted that the goal was not to compete for supremacy but to serve the country.

Interacting with students of Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society, organised by the Social Welfare Department and Science and Technology Department of the Government of Karnataka, Somanath said that a recent study by ISRO ascertained that for every rupee spent by the organisation, the return was Rs 2.50. He highlighted the need for an ecosystem for business opportunities 

"Going to the moon is a costly affair. And we cannot depend only on the government for funding. We must create business opportunities. If you have to sustain it, you have to create a use for it. Otherwise, after we do something, the government will tell you to close down," said Somanath, adding that the ISRO does much more than just space exploration. 

Somanath said that they issue advisories too, for instance to fishermen. “With the help of our advisory, they know where to go for the best catch. We use Oceansat to gauge the sea and issue the advisory after studying various parameters. By using this service, the fishermen not just get a good yield of fish, but they also save diesel required for the boats substantially," said Somanath.

The ISRO chief also reminisced about his schooldays, and recalled that it was a teacher who suggested he should go to IIT to pursue an engineering degree.

Somanath spoke about his first space project that he was a part of in the 1990s – the launch of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which was a failure initially due to altitude control issues. He said the team worked very hard in the next 10 months to set it right and launch it successfully again. 

Over 2 lakh students and teachers from the KREIS participated in the event. Many even attended and interacted over Zoom.