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Astromomy on a resurgent path in India
The science of astronomy is witnessing a resurgence in India, with the Indian Government pushing for participation in several international projects, said Shrinivas Kulkarni, professor of astronomy and planetary sciences at the California Institute of Technology, US.
Speaking on the sidelines of a lecture at Infosys, Bangalore, Kulkarni—a part of the jury for the Infosys Science Prizes which were announced last month, said that India, which last year pledged to participate in the Thirty-Metre Telescope (TMT) megaproject in Hawaii, will have a major role to play in the effort, which involves universities and observatories from the US, Canada, Japan and China.
Expected to be ready by 2020. TMT, which will be the largest and the most advanced telescope in the world, could host mirror segments, mechanical actuation and software developed in India, which has sought a 10 per cent stake in the $1 billion project, the eminent scientist said. “India actively participated in the Large Hadron Collider project at CERN, but in TMT, it will have an even bigger involvement to begin with,” he added. Kulkarni is also spearheading a small satellite project at Caltech named LIMSAT. “It stands for ‘less is more’,” he said, in which he is trying to involve Indian universities and government. “We are trying to make the satellite at a cost of less than $20 million. Israel has agreed to sponsor half of it. We will approach the Indian government with a proposal,” he told The Sunday Express . The 100 kg satellite, which could be ready for launch in four years, will have on board a large-field ultraviolet camera. “Given India’s expertise in UV detectors and its track record in satellite launching, we are hoping for a successful partnership,” he said.
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