From The Hindu Archives, January 29, 1976: Plan for India’s own communication satellite

Madras, Jan. 28: ​Prof. U. R. Rao, Director, ISRO Satellite Systems Project, Bangalore said here to-day that the Department of Space had plans for the design and development of an Indian-made communications satellite. It was now on the drawing board and could be launched with the French launch vehicle, “Ariane”. It would be suitably positioned to cover the entire subcontinent. The time frame for launch is around 1980.

​Disclosing this at a two-day seminar on “space communication” organised by the Electronic Engineers’ Association, College of Engineering, Guindy, Prof. Rao said another major programme which had already taken off the ground was the design and development of a small satellite called Rohini weighing about 40 kgs. This would be utilised, along with the Indian Launch Vehicle SLV-3, for initially conducting technological experiments and subsequently for more meaningful scientific and application experiments. The first such satellite was expected to be launched in late 1978.

​Closely following the successful launching of Aryabhata was an ongoing plan for the design and development of an Earth Observation Satellite (SEO) that would yield data relevant to the areas of hydrology and meteorology, he said.

​Explaining through slides the various developments in space technology as well as the Aryabhata, Prof. Rao referred to the important role that satellites could play in national development. Proper inventory of available natural resources and their optimal management had become a vital area of interest in which satellites could play a key role, he said.

​Satellites under consideration, he said, would be classified as scientific, application and communication satellites. The first would be mostly like the Aryabhata. The second was planned to assist the economy. The Communications satellites would provide information flow to the masses.

​Prof. Rao said through the launching of the SITE programme, India had become the first country in the world to broadcast Mass TV from space.

​Prof. Rao suggested that the Government might “consider display of cartoons—now available to the urban public—to the rural folk utilising the medium of SITE-TV. This would make TV in rural areas more popular. He urged that TV sets should be available at “reasonable prices.”

​Mr. W. P. Vijayaraghavan, Principal of the Engineering College, introduced the speaker. Prof. P. M. Ramanathan welcomed the gathering. Mr. V. C. Kulandaiswamy, Director of Technical Education, Tamil Nadu, presided. Mr. G. Rajeshwaran, General Secretary of the Association, proposed a vote of thanks.