The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), for the first time, is gearing up to showcase before the public the crew module atmospheric re-entry experiment (CARE), which forms part of India’s human space flight programme and test-flown in December 2014, at the Space Expo opening at the Ernakulathappan ground on Tuesday.
Former ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan will open the expo at a meeting to be presided over by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) Director K. Sivan. K.V. Thomas, MP, will be the chief guest. The expo is conducted as part of the World Space Week celebrations.
The crew module of the ‘human in space’ programme was flown in the LVM3-X mission, and after atmospheric re-entry, it was ditched into the sea from where it was recovered.
“It is the first time it [module] is being kept on public display. Besides this, there are attractive scaled-down models of the successful RLV-TD [Reusable Launch Vehicle – Technology Demonstrator] and scramjet engines, launch vehicles of different varieties from olden times to the current era, and satellite replicas,” S.R. Vijayamohanakumar, VSSC Media Coordinator, said in a release.
Entry for the public is from October 5 to 10 between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. daily.
ISRO centres in Thiruvananthapuram such as the VSSC, LPSC, and the IISU are joining hands to put together the expo, which will present application-oriented efforts of ISRO from which the country has benefited.
Technology applications in the areas of tele-education, telemedicine, disaster management, monitoring and tracking of depressions and cyclones, and early warning on landslides are presented and explained at the expo.
Interesting high-end tech applications include 3D holographic animated imagery of the ISRO’s launch vehicle missions, the Indian geo platform Bhuvan portal, ISRO’s augmented reality mobile application, Sarkaar.
A host of programmes are also being organised along with the expo at educational institutions across the State to sensitise students to the advancements made by ISRO in space research.
