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Space has always excited human mind for discovery and understanding our existence and surrounding. Last four decades have so revealing for observing the Earth from space either from geostationary or low polar orbits. It has not only become increasingly sophisticated, but also most essential technology to monitor the impact of humanity on the environment. Observations from space provide consistent, synoptic and multiscale measurements of the Earth in varied time scale - measurements which are not available by any other means. We use a sophisticated array of instruments, operating at all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum that can penetrate the atmosphere, including visible light, and ultraviolet, infrared and microwave radiation. The benefits of space technology applications today virtually touch every facet of human endeavor extending over communication, navigation, meteorology, education, health, agriculture, resource management, environmental protection, disaster management and entertainment.
The Earth system is in a dynamic balance. The sun provides huge amounts of energy to the oceans and atmosphere. The Earth absorbs some of this energy, but also reflects and radiates energy into space. Man's industrial and other activities are shifting this balance, by changing the composition of the atmosphere through emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. If the current level of human induced environmental degradation and resource exploitation continues, we will be leaving our next generation very little in terms of environmental quality and resources to sustain human civilization, leave alone prosper. Space technology is the most powerful and sophisticated tool for understanding this change in the environment. The development of space-based and in situ global observing capabilities, several new Earth-observing satellites, in situ networks and process and simulation studies are now producing unprecedented high quality information for planning. The integrated approach has led to major new insights about the Earth’s changing environment.
Geoinformatics, a converging technology, enables scientists to forecast possible degradation of the environment, plan for remedial action, or to mitigate the effects of adverse environmental changes including the climate change. Integration of realtime ground measurements with different environmental variables allows development of decision support systems for management of water resources, or monitoring the changing state of forests – deforestation, fire damage – to help manage this resource more effectively.
The presentation makes a case for concerted effort to build vantage point in Space to study Environment to save the Planet Earth
About Dr. K. Kasturirangan
Dr. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan took his Bachelor of Science with Honours and Master of Science degrees in Physics from Bombay University and received his Doctorate Degree in Experimental High Energy Astronomy in 1971 working at the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad. He was the Director of the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) at Bangalore (2004-2009), and is Honorary Professor of Physics, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad and at the Jawarharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Research at Bangalore. He was also a Member of Upper House of Indian Parliament (2003-2009). He is presently Member(Science) with the Planning Commission of India. For over 9 years until 2003, Dr. Kasturirangan steered the Indian Space programme as Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation. Under his leadership, the programme witnessed several major milestones including the successful launching and operationalisation of the India's prestigious launch vehicles, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, the development and launching of some of the world's best civilian remote sensing satellites, IRS-1C and 1D, new generation INSAT communication satellites, besides ocean observation satellites IRS-P3/P4. As an Astrophysicist, Dr. Kasturirangan's interest include research in high energy X-ray and gamma ray astronomy as well as optical astronomy. He has made extensive and significant contributions to studies of Cosmic x-ray and gamma ray sources and effect of cosmic x-rays in the lower atmosphere.
Dr. Kasturirangan is a Member of the International Academy of Astronautics and served as its Vice President. He is a Member of the International Astronomical Union and a Fellow of Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). He is a Fellow of Indian Academy of Sciences and served as its President during 2001-03. He is a Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering and was its President during 2005-06. He was also General President of the Indian Science Congress for the years 2002-2003. Besides, he is the Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy and the National Academy of Sciences of India. He is the Honorary Fellow of the Cardiff University, UK; and an Academician of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Vatican City.
He has won several awards including Brock Medal of International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, (2004), Allan D Emil Memorial Award of the International Astronautical Federation (2004), Theodore Von Karman Award by International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), France (2007), Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Engineering, Aryabhata Award 2003 of Astronautical Society of India, Lifetime Achievement Award of Asia-Pacific Satellite communications Council, Singapore, Aryabhata Medal by Indian National Science Academy (2000), Asutosh Mookerjee Memorial Award by the Indian Science Congress, Award of Jewel of Ruia, Ruia College Alumni Association, 2007; Maharana Udai Singh Award 2007-08 by Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, Udaipur, 2008; Rajayogindra Award, Maharaja of Mysore, Mysore, 2008; Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Gold Medal, Indian Science Congress, Shillong, 2009. He has been conferred with the highest civilian honours Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan by the President of India and Award of ‘Officer of the Legion d’honneur’ by the President of the French Republic, France.
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