Lift Off

India proves its technological prowess yet again by flawlessly launching the RISAT – 2 and the ANUSAT satellites on 20th April at 6:45 am (on schedule). The launch showcases the scientific capability of the ISRO and the efficiency of its trustworthy Polar Launch Satellite Vehicle (PSLV – C12), which put the satellites into orbit. The PSLV, of recent Chandrayaan-1 fame, is one of the most reputed launch vehicles in the world and has already launched 14 Indian and 16 foreign satellites.

The RISAT-2 is a 300 kg Radar Imaging Satellite which is equipped with Synthetic-aperture Radar (SAR) technology. SAR, which replaces a single large rotating antenna (used by conventional radar) with many small stationary antennas, is most useful for defence mapping as it enables the processing of high resolution images irrespective of visibility and weather conditions. Apart from this, the increased earth mapping capabilities can be extremely useful in tackling agricultural issues and natural disasters. SAR makes India, which was previously dependent on US and Canadian satellites, capable of independent monitoring.

The international significance of SAR lies in the fact that it has been developed by Israeli Aerospace Industries. After the launch of Israel’s TecSAR using India’s PSLV rocket in January 2008, this collaboration marks a new chapter in India-Israel relations, which have been kept low key but are becoming increasingly important.

The extent of the use of RISAT-2 as a ‘spy satellite’ is not very clear. The ISRO chief Madhavan Nair, who can’t be blamed for being diplomatic, emphasises on the mapping of natural disasters and agricultural land while ignoring the military surveillance aspect completely. At the opposite spectrum an article in the Times of India calls the RISAT-2 “India’s eye on its borders with Pakistan, China & Bangladesh”. Whatever the case may be, the satellite will definitely strengthen India’s counter-terrorism and military operations.

Another key element of the mission is the replacement of a thirty year old computer system by the new ‘‘Advance Mission Computer and Telemetry System’, which guides the PSLV from launch till the injection of satellites. This makes India more self-reliant and adds to the list of ISRO’s achievements.

Apart from the RISAT-2, the launch of ANUSAT will also have a significant impact, particularly on research in Indian technological institutes. The Anna University Satellite (ANUSAT), the first satellite to be jointly developed by an Indian university and the ISRO, will be used to transfer confidential academic material and to monitor drought, wastelands etc. The successful launch of this store-and-forward communication satellite will motivate other universities to increase satellite based practical research and investment in student projects.

The PSLV-C12, RISAT-2 & ANUSAT stand for India’s excellence in the field of science and technology and enhance the reputation of Indian research and educational institutions in the global domain. Let us hope India can tap more of its technological potential, and use it to tackle glaring environmental and agrarian issues rather than limiting it to the enhancement of nuclear and defence capabilities.

The New IPL

The first two days of the ‘International’ IPL have thrown up quite a few surprises for anyone who followed the tournament last year. To begin with, the ‘successful’ teams last year have been beaten comprehensively in the first two days. Chennai Super Kings (runners up 2008) lost to the Mumbai Indians in probably the closest fought match in this IPL. The champions last year, Rajasthan Royals, were walloped by arguably the worst team last year, the Royal Challengers. Finally, the Deccan Chargers, the team that disappointed last year after building up an arsenal of the dream team of pitch hitters, came through with a strong victory over the ‘all show’ Knight Riders. It is as though twenty-twenty cricket has undergone a drastic image makeover. The four’s and six’s have been a rare treat in South Africa as opposed to what we saw last year. The team totals have declined drastically with Rajasthan Royals’ 58 all-out taking the cake hands down.

With underdogs consistently outperforming the favourites and teams fighting for triple digit totals, the new pitches and weather conditions seem to have a much greater bearing on the game than one would have previously imagined. The experience of the old guard, which was undermined last time, now seems to be a great asset. The bowlers (particularly spinners) have an upper hand on the batsmen, a rare spectacle in the sub continent. Can these changes be attributed only to a change in location? Have the teams that had performed below expectations now revamped their teams and strategy? Is the rain just a short term feature in the tournament? Do the batsmen need more time to get used to the conditions? These questions will be answered as the tournament unfolds, but we can definitely say that this IPL, as compared to its predecessor, is a whole new ball game.