Chennai: President A P J Abdul Kalam on October 10 asked the SHAR space scientists to soon come up with cost-effective "reusable launch vehicles", so that space applications can grow multi-fold and in new dimensions hitherto unimagined.

With the accomplishments that had taken place so far in all the aspects of space technology and applications, the country "expects more and more from you and I am sure you will more than meet the expectations and make the country proud", he said.

He was addressing the space scientists at SHAR centre, Sriharikota, on his first visit to SHAR after it was named after Prof Satish Dhawan.

Pointing out that the SHAR centre had already launched 17 vehicles and was attempting to launch the 18th one in a week's time from now, Kalam, himself a missile scientist, said the plan to launch a satellite to the moon by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) through 'Chandrayaan' would electrify the entire country, particularly young scientists and children.

"I am sure the moon mission is just a start towards further planetary explorations," he said, adding that he had suggested to ISRO scientists that the extra 15 kg available in the satellite could be allotted for a combined entry package to the moon with a telemetry, so that India would be able to get the data from the moon's surface.

PTI