ISRO plans atmospheric studies centre in AP

Hyderabad: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is ready to establish a world-class facility for atmospheric studies near Tirupati, according to a statement from the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office.

The ISRO Chairman, Mr G. Madhavan Nair, in a message informed the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, that ISRO planned to establish a facility for advanced atmospheric studies in Andhra Pradesh.

Mr Nair said this in response to Dr Reddy’s congratulatory message on Chandrayaan-I mission success and sought the State’s support to help them expand their facility near Tirupati.

The Chief Minister wanted ISRO to establish a Human Space Programme (Astronaut Training and Biomedical engineering Centre) and offered land in Anantapur district close to Bangalore.

The ISRO Chairman said the National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL) of ISRO, which is functioning at Gadanki near Tirupati since 1992, is engaged in fundamental research related to atmospheric and space sciences and developing various types of radars for atmospheric studies.

NARL has proposed to expand its activities by taking up advanced technology experiments and a laboratory for developing flight instruments is to be set up near Tirupati. ISRO has sought 20 acres for establishing the advanced atmospheric studies centre.

The ISRO Chairman said as a part of their initiatives on Human Spaceflight Programme (HSP), a centre for training astronauts is planned around Bangalore in co-ordination with Indian Institute of Aviation, Medicine, Bangalore. ISRO is pursuing approval process of the HSP at Governmental level.

The Chief Minister said a large chunk of land had been acquired in Anantapur district close to Bagepalli in Karnataka on NH-7, 69 km away from new Bangalore International Airport, and offered it for this project at a concessional rate.

While extending support to Sriharikota expansion, Dr Reddy expressed the hope that ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre in Hyderabad would benefit the Andhra Pradesh State Remote Sensing Applications.