• BANGALORE

    NAT6National/Diaspora/Science/TechnologyChandrayaan inspires overseas Indian scientists to return homeBy Fakir BalajiBangalore, Oct 28 IANS The successful launch of India's first lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 has inspired many Indian space scientists working abroad to return home for a promising career in the Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO, a top official said."Our moon mission has aroused tremendous interest in the scientific community the world over. The launch has made many overseas Indian space scientists think of returning and working in our organisation to further their career prospects," the official told IANS.Though the state-run ISRO's human resource department is yet to receive applications from abroad, the official who didn't want to be named confirmed that enquiries for job prospects in the space agency started since the Oct 22 launch of Chandrayaan from Sriharikota spaceport, about 80 km north of Chennai."There have been some enquiries though at a personal level. For instance, Chandrayaan director M. Annadurai got e-mail from scientists, mostly of Indian origin, congratulating him for the lunar mission and offering to join the space agency," the official pointed out.Many persons of Indian origin PIOs currently working in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA in the US and the European Space Agency ESA in Europe or at Kourou in French Guiana, South America, began their career as scientists in ISRO or in Indian academic/research institutes before migrating in search of greener pastures."Some Indian space scientists working in NASA may be mulling to come back to work on our projects. They might be keen on applying for a suitable post in commensurate with their experience and expectations. We welcome them on merit," the official noted.But the official added that as a policy the Indian space agency did not recruit foreign nationals. "Indian born scientists and PIOs are, however, eligible to apply in ISRO. To our knowledge, barring a few, not many Indian scientists are working in ESA. If any, they may be second or third generation Indians with European nationality," the official hinted.Annadurai has said scientists from NASA and ESA, including PIOs have sent feelers expressing interest to work for ISRO, even at lower salaries. Annadurai could not be reached for his comments. ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair had told reporters at Sriharikota that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had put in place packages for scientists working in the space organisation and the atomic energy agency on the basis of the Sixth Pay Commission."We are in the process of getting these things revised packages cleared at the final approval stage. But I don't think we can give the phenomenal salary offered by the IT firms. We will give respectable living conditions in line with society," Nair affirmed.In accordance with the Sixth Pay Commission's recommendations, the government has revised pay scales of space scientists and engineers to Rs.31,000 from Rs.18,000 at entry-level posts; to Rs.60,000 from Rs.43,000 at middle-level posts and to Rs.70,000 from Rs.45,000 for the top posts - director and above.The 36-year-old ISRO, headquartered in Bangalore, with multiple locations across the country, has a total workforce of 16,500, including about 10,000 scientists and engineers. About 6,500 are employed in administrative and auxiliary services."Our attrition rate is less than the best of IT companies. Though there is a dearth of outstanding science or engineering graduates opting for a career in space science/technology, we are able to manage the demand-supply gap fairly well," the official observed.To ensure a steady stream of supply to its various departments, ISRO has commenced a space university at Thiruvananthapuram this academic year where about 150 students with science background are offered a five-year course in space technology and applications."The graduating students will have a five year bond to serve with the organisation. They get oriented to work on space application and programmes, with opportunity to do projects at our various facilities," the official added.About 90 percent of ISRO scientists/engineers are home-grown, having graduated from Indian Institutes of Technology, National Institutes of Technology, Bits Pilani or other top engineering universities/colleges.--Indo-Asian News Servicefc/rn/mr 726 Words**28101212
    2008-10-28 03:03:09

  • Korean Telecom Corporation KT Corporation has chosen Arianespace to launch its next communications satellite, Koreasat 6

    Koreasat 6 will be boosted into geostationary transfer orbit by an Ariane 5 or Soyuz launcher from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport, French Guiana, during the second half of 2010. Koreasat 6 is the second satellite to be launched by Arianespace for the Korean operator, following Koreasat 3, orbited in 1999. Arianespace has another Korean satellite on its launch manifest, COMS-1, a multimission satellite for the Korea Aerospace Research Institute KARI. Koreasat 6 will be built by Thales Alenia Space using a Star-2 platform from Orbital Sciences Corporation of the United States. Weighing about 2,750 kg at launch, it will be fitted with 30 Ku-band transponders. The Koreasat 6 satellite will provide telecommunications and broadcasting services throughout the country, from its orbital position at 116° East. It will have a design life exceeding 15 years.
    2008-09-11 21:17:15

  • Ariane-5 launches two communication satellites in French Guiana

    PARIS, Aug. 14 Xinhua -- The Ariane-5 rocket took off at ...
    2008-08-25 14:17:23

  • Thales Air Defence: AMC-21 telecommunication satellite successfully launched

    The AMC-21 satellite will transmit mobile applications and TV broadcasting throughout the Continental United States CONUS, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and Central America. Cannes, August 15 , 2008 - The AMC-21 communication satellite built by Thales Alenia Space was successfully launched on August 14 by an Ariane 5 ECA from Kourou, French Guiana. This satellite will be operated by SES AMERICOM from the 125 degrees West orbital position. Thales Alenia Space acted as prime contractor and communications payload supplier of the Star-2 spacecraft that was built, integrated and tested by Orbital Sciences Corporation in Dulles, VA. The AMC-21 satellite will transmit mobile applications and TV broadcasting throughout the Continental United States CONUS, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and Central America.
    2008-08-19 15:16:33

  • Japanese satellite rides skyward

    The first home-designed and built telecoms satellite for Japan goes safely into orbit from a launch pad in French Guiana.
    2008-08-15 21:08:43

  • Ariane Rocket Launches Satellites For Japan, U.S.

    A heavy-lift Ariane-5 rocket blasted off from French Guiana on Thursday putting into orbit satellites for Japan's Space Communications and U.S. operator SES Americom.
    2008-08-15 17:00:00

  • Maintaining Arianespace’s launch tempo: the Spaceport receives its fifth Ariane 5 of 2008

    The fifth Ariane 5 of 2008 has arrived in French Guiana as Arianespace keeps up its mission pace during the busiest year of commercial mission activity for this workhorse launch vehicle. Components of the heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA were delivered to Pariacabo port near Kourou by the MN Toucan, which is one of two roll-on/roll-off vessels utilized by Arianespace to carry launch vehicle elements from Europe to South America. These components were then transferred to the Spaceport, where they will be assembled inside the Launcher Integration Building. This facility is ready to receive the Ariane 5 following last week’s roll-out of another heavy-lift launcher - which was transferred to the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building in preparation for a July 4 liftoff with the ProtoStar I and BADR-6 satellite payloads.
    2008-07-30 07:40:29

  • Arianespace mission update: ProtoStar l is fueled for its heavy-lift Ariane 5 launch from the Spaceport

    Satellite preparations have taken center stage at the Spaceport in French Guiana as Arianespace readies its fourth Ariane 5 flight of 2008. As part of this activity, the mission’s ProtoStar I payload has been fueled in the S5A hall of the Spaceport’s state-of-the-art S5 satellite preparation facility. This large satellite platform is based on Space Systems/Loralrsquo;s 1300 spacecraft bus, and will provide K-band/C-band relay capacity over Asia. ProtoStar I is the first in a fleet of relay platforms that Asian satellite services company ProtoStar plans to launch for advanced satellite television services and powerful two-way broadband communications access.
    2008-07-30 07:37:29
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