What is the Benefit of ISRO?

Posted by Sophie Mcintyre on September 10th, 2023

ISRO is an organization that hires engineers with diverse backgrounds. While they prefer candidates from elite technical institutes, they also look for depth of engineering knowledge. In addition, they offer competitive allowances and salaries.

The scientists at ISRO are not millionaires, and they live a simple life. However, they are passionate and dedicated to their work. Their efforts have helped to create a number of spinoff technologies that improve our lives.

Benefits to the common man

Besides the obvious benefits of telecommunication, weather forecasting and GPS, ISRO recruitment also helps in improving our lives on Earth. Some of their technologies are even making their way into your home or workplace.

These technology spinoffs include cost-effective developments in healthcare like artificial limbs, thermal wear and flame-proof coatings. They also help in disaster management and safety & security.

The Indian space programme was born in the church of Dr Vikram Sarabhai who realized that space technology could be used to address problems of the common man. His vision was to transform India into a space-power nation that uses this powerful tool for socio-economic development. Today, it is a force multiplier in the implementation of smart cities projects and country-wide ground water mapping. In addition, ISRO’s Bhuvan geo-spatial platform application service provides data that can be used to develop databases for national highways and toll plazas, manage forest coverage, map cultivated land, detect pest attacks and drought conditions among other things.

Benefits to the industry

Many of the technologies developed by ISRO can eventually make their way to our homes, offices or factories. For example, the robotic technology that operates equipment in a spacecraft could one day be used to make smart artificial limbs. Then there are satellite data products that can help farmers in identifying water bodies and minerals. Then there are also the cost-efficient and reliable launch systems like PSLV that ISRO has developed.

ISRO has established two major space systems: the Indian communication satellites, INSAT, for telecommunication and television broadcasting needs; and the Indian remote sensing satellites (IRS), for managing natural resources. It has also built launch vehicles, such as the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), for placing INSAT and IRS satellites into the required orbits.

These technological developments have benefited the industry in many ways. For instance, the success of the Chandrayaan-1 mission has given a boost to private space start-ups that are working on cost-efficient and reliable space-grade hardware. This has also increased the credibility of India’s space industry and may attract international investors in future.

Benefits to the government

The government has been using the technologies developed by ISRO for a number of national needs. These include telecommunication, resources management and natural disaster forecasting, radio networking and space-based navigation services.

ISRO is also a major supplier of satellites to foreign clients, including the US and Japan. The organisation has developed a series of low-cost launch vehicles such as the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).

Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India’s space programme, wanted ISRO to be independent of foreign technology. This culture of frugalitry has persisted, even today. You may not see scientists carrying rocket cones on bicycles, but the spirit of Sarabhai lives on at ISRO, which collaborates with independent research centres for remote sensing, autonomy, astrophysics and atmospheric science to optimize and improve technology. The tenacious technologists at ISRO don’t mind making sacrifices to ensure that their work can benefit the nation. They are unafraid to work on projects that might not yield immediate rewards, and this zeal has helped the country leapfrog into 21st century space technologies.

Benefits to the society

ISRO has a high profile and offers a range of benefits to its employees. These include a reasonable pension, travel allowances and group insurance. Employees also enjoy free housing. They can also take up a number of other courses provided by the institute.

ISRO also focuses on bringing space services to the people of India through a range of satellites. These include communications, meteorological services and resources management. It also maintains a fleet of remote sensing satellites. It also has a busy schedule of launching its own and contract satellites from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

It has also developed launch vehicles such as PSLV for polar orbits and GSLV for geostationary orbits. These technologies have been commercialised through NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a company that has been established to improve industry participation in ISRO projects. ISRO has also encouraged entrepreneurs and start-ups to enter the space business by providing them with facilities and research support.