We interacted with Divyanshu Poddar, Co-Founder & Head Business Development of Rocketeers to learn about journey to bringing the first solid fuel powered rocket science to the students in India. Rocketeers produces solid motor fuel powered rockets as a medium for education in the form of workshop on Model Rocketry in India.

How it all began?

Around December, 2010, me and Gagan Agrawal, my senior at college, saw videos of model rockets being made by young students and enthusiasts in the USA. As students who were working hard to become rocket scientists in one of the premiere space agencies in the world, we were both enthralled by the world of model rocketry and wanted to participate in the same.… Click here to read the complete article

When the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests last visited the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) and reviewed current work there, it recommended a 50% increase in its annual budget. It took note of ‘the need for enhancing manpower, particularly the scientific manpower of ISRO, the lack of which was disabling the organisation to optimise its potential’.

The chairman of ISRO has also stressed “the need for manpower for producing various satellites and also bolster the R&D set up to develop new generation satellite and launch vehicles”.

There are both internal and external demand requirements acting as impetuses to this need for an increased budget.… Click here to read the complete article

Most space enthusiasts have heard how ‘each dollar of NASA spending is a catalyst for $10 of economic benefit’. But have you ever heard someone say “Each rupee of ISRO spending is a catalyst for Rs.10 of economic benefits”? Wouldn’t it be great to have such numbers on hand when folks question investments in the space sector by India every time a new mission is planned?

The mainstream media is quick to latch on to fun facts like how the Mangalyaan mission’s mileage was cheaper than an auto’s and cost less than the Hollywood film Gravity. A slightly better informed space enthusiast perhaps knows that the Government of India is spending about Rs.7,400 crore during fiscal year 2015-2016 on the space programme.… Click here to read the complete article