Chandrayan-II should have onboard robot to measure depth of water on moon: Kalam

The former President is a co-faculty at IIM-A along with faculty member Prof Anil Gupta on a course titled Globalising Resurgent India through Innovative Transformation (GRIIT).

V Ponraj,a scientist and former director of Technology Interface at Rashtrapati Bhavan during President Kalam’s tenure,said: “Dr Kalam was sharing with the students his idea about a robot called ‘Moon Surface Robotic Penetrator’ that would be part of a Moon Impact Probe.”

D Narayan Moorthy,Director,Launch Vehicle Program Office at ISRO,said: “What Dr Kalam is trying to do is to inspire management students to look at management as one of the needs for development as part of Vision 2020. As a part of GRIIT,he looks at the innovative ideas in each pillar of that development and shares them.”

Moorthy is part of the contingent accompanying Dr Kalam on his lectures at IIM-A. Another point that Dr Kalam stressed during the lecture was the need for more research and development in nanotechnology,and in the context of India’s space mission,developing nano-satellites.

Nano-satellites developed by universities have travelled with space missions in the past,including missions by ISRO. But so far,none of those developed by Indian universities have been used,despite the fact that ISRO and NASA scientists are eager to work with Indian universities in designing these designs,said Moorthy.

At present,however,a number of universities in the country have come up with nano-satellite designs,Moorthy said,adding that “Dr Kalam’s basic message is that research in nanotechnology should be strengthened”.