The Indian Space research organisation (ISRO) had a glorious year, with its chairman getting into the list of 2014’s top 10 scientists by the journal ‘Nature’ and entry of Mangalyaan into planet Mars. ISRO Chairman Dr Radhakrishnan, who took over the baton from Madhavan Nair in 2014, was picked as one of 2014’s top 10 scientists by the prestigious journal ‘Nature’. This is the first time in the recent past that an Indian working in this country has been chosen for the honour. Dr Radhakrishnan is listed along with people like Andrea Accomazzo, Rosetta flight operations director, European Space Agency.
Reacting to the honour bestowed on him, Dr Radhakrishnan said it is the recognition for coming up with a major technological mission through the synergy of a large team of scientists.
The ISRO team was as large as 16,000 members, of which the younger generation accounts for 4,500 scientists, he added.
In between two failures, ISRO saw India’s Mangalyaan- its ambitious Mars Mission- successfully entering the orbit of the red planet on September 24 (MOM). India became the first and the only nation to have achieved this feat on her maiden attempt. The country also became the first Asian nation to reach Mars. The space organisation also crossed another major milestone when in January, with the space flight of an indigenous cryogenic engine and stage. ISRO has been been working hard for some years to develop a cryogenic engine at home. This was to improve the reliability of GSLV launch vehicle and take the rocket to greater heights.
Then came December 18, launch of the heaviest and tallest GSLV Mark III.
This was in tandem with the successful trial of re-entry of an unmanned crew module when the pod shaped space vehicle, which could accommodate three astronauts, splashed down in Bay of Bengal after a short flight.
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