Amidst a deluge of drones and missiles from Pakistan during recent military conflicts, India's air defense system stood resilient, acting as an effective shield. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) revealed that India's satellites played a crucial role, providing precise direction and trajectory data of incoming weapons to the armed forces.
On the nights of May 9 and 10, India's advanced air defense system 'Akashteer' along with the Russian-imported S-400 systems worked in tandem to create an invisible shield. This stopped and destroyed Pakistani attacks before they could reach Indian civilian and military targets.
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan revealed how India's satellites assisted the armed forces under challenging conditions, playing a crucial role in averting immediate threats. He stated, 'All our satellites performed with complete precision. Initially, our cameras had resolutions between 36 to 72 centimeters. Now, we have the 'on-orbiter high-resolution camera' for the moon, offering the world’s most excellent resolution camera. Additionally, we have cameras providing crystal-clear images with resolutions of up to 26 centimeters.'
On May 11, during the 5th convocation ceremony at the Central Agricultural University (CAU) in Imphal, Narayanan mentioned that at least 10 satellites are consistently operational with strategic goals to ensure Indian citizens' safety. This remark from Narayanan comes at a time when tension between India and Pakistan escalated following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, claiming 26 lives.
He also mentioned, 'All satellites we launch aim towards the welfare of people, involving security too. Presently, a minimum of 50 satellites are operational in areas like TV broadcasting, telecommunications, and security.'
Narayanan shared that after the Mars Orbiter Mission, ISRO is now working on a landing mission, with plans to launch it in approximately 30 months. ISRO Chief Narayanan arrived in Chennai on Thursday, where final preparations for the PSLV-C61 rocket launch are underway. This mission will be ISRO's 101st.
