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The sordid ISRO spy case has finally come to a close. Justice finally prevailed after nearly 25 years, but science seems to have lost.
The Supreme Court has awarded ₹50 lakh compensation to rocket scientist Nambi Narayanan. But there can be no compensation for the loss inflicted on the country’s space programme.
India’s lack of expertise in cryogenic technology is limiting its capabilities to launch large satellites in the lucrative commercial segment and outer space missions.
Nambi Narayanan and his team were working and gaining expertise developing cryogenic technology in 1994-95 at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram when this infamous spy case alleging that they were selling space secrets to Pakistan was foisted on them.
With ISRO struggling to develop indigenous cryogenic technologies, the US further compounded matters by not only denying this technology to India but also preventing Russia from sharing it with India. However, the Russians succeeded in giving India seven cryogenic engines.These issues led to the delay of the critical development phase of cryogenic rocket technology. The net result is that two decades later the ISRO is still experimenting GSLV Mark 2 & 3 versions, testing its home-grown engine and technologies to use the launcher commercially. Its ambitious Chandrayaan (Moon mission), Man in Space and interplanetary probes in future require mastery of the GSLV. This, in turn, has put tremendous pressure and reliance on PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle).
The case also exposes the vilification of top scientists by the police and the intelligence wing, sections of the media, either through ignorance or connivance. Nambi Narayanan at 76 at least had the satisfaction of proving his innocence and being compensated monetarily. This was denied to the two others — scientist Sashikumar and K Chandrashekhar, the latter a representative of Glavkosmos, the Russian space agency in India (who tragically died the day the Supreme Court announced its judgement). This is a case of justice delayed and denied.
Associate Editor
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