Scientists here to set up temporary centre

AN eight-member team of scientists and technicians from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is in Fiji to set up a temporary Telemetry and Tracking Command Centre to study the sun.
India’s pursuit of space exploration reached a remarkable milestone when ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed near the moon’s south pole on Wednesday, making it the first country to do so.
To celebrate this historic milestone, the High Commission of India organised a reception on Thursday evening, which was also attended by the ISRO team.
Indian High Commissioner to Fiji Palaniswamy Subramanyan Karthigeyan said the achievement marked a significant step forward for Indian science, engineering, technology, and industry.
“Aditya L1 Mission, this is a mission of India’s Space Research Organisation to put a space-based laboratory to study about the sun,” Mr Karthigeyan said.
“In Sanskrit and Hindi, aditya means sun.
“This mission which Prime Minister Narendra Modi also mentioned that very soon we’ll be also launching that.
“So, for that, outside India, depending on the pedigree of the light here, there are some of the things that have been identified. One of that is putting the temporary Telemetry and Tracking Command Centre in Fiji.
“These scientists and technicians were pumped to take care of that mission.”
He said the High Commission of India will work very closely with the Government of Fiji.
“Of course, we’ll work closely with the Government here. This is done in cooperation with the Government of Fiji. This team does not have anybody from the local side, and they’ll be here for a few weeks.
“There are eight of them. I think two of them are scientists. The rest of them are engineers and technicians.”
This is the first time a team from ISRO has visited Fiji to do research.