Nations engaged in the massive search for the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 might not have revealed all the information they would have gathered and may choose to come out with the same later as it will also give an idea about a nation’s technological advancement, former ISRO chairman and Planning Commission member K. Kasturirangan said here on Tuesday.
“There may be more information on the missing flight, which the nations may choose to come out with after some time or put out a package after due deliberations. I am not sure if they have revealed all,” Dr. Kasturirangan said at the Dr. Satish C. Seth Memorial Futurology Lecture organised by the Indian Council of Management & Future.
The former ISRO chairman delivered a keynote address on ‘India in Space — A Conceptual Framework for the 21 Century’, in which he deliberated upon India’s space achievements and research being conducted for developing space elevators, global navigation system, efficient space transportation system, space tourism and other areas.
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To a question on the level of development in space technology and oceanography in the wake of over 27 nations not being able to trace the missing flight, Dr. Kasturirangan said he was “not sure if what is appearing in the media is all that we have on the missing flight. Not sure if the nations are revealing all because it will give away an idea on that nation’s capability of catching signals, no matter how weak, that they must have gathered”.
He, however, said he would not like to say more on it.
In his address dedicated to Dr. Seth, the father of future studies, Dr. Kasturirangan said India has launched 111 missions — 69 satellites and 42 launch vehicles —giving it independent access to space and is now working on developing cost-effective launch vehicles which can return to earth like an aeroplane instead of blasting off.
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He added: “Hopefully, in another 10 years, we [India] will have a navigation system as good as the Global Positioning System of the United States.”
He also stressed on manned space flights for better research work and the huge investment required, extensive studies for future habitation on Mars and using moon as laboratory for planetary science or intermediary platform to go to other planets, and developing space tourism by exploring public-private efforts.