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We’re 14 yrs late in developing cryogenic tech, says former ISRO head Narayan

S Sanandakumar, ET Bureau Jan 8, 2014, 05.00AM IST
(Father of Indian cryogenic…)

KOCHI: Nambi Narayanan, former head of Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) cryogenic division, is now focused more on his pursuit of justice than rocket propulsion even as the indigenous engine he started developing more than two decades ago finally lifted GSLV D5 from Sriharikota on Sunday.

Narayanan was framed in an infamous spy scandal in 1994, which turned out to be a fabricated case. He was kept in police custody for two months, tortured and his brilliant scientific career was destroyed.

Four years later, Supreme Court dismissed the case against him. The spy scandal afflicted the ISRO Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle project, too. Narayanan, who retired as director for advanced technologies and planning at ISRO, had set for himself a target to develop the cryogenic technology by 2000.

"We are late by 14 years," he says, adding that the indigenously built cryogenic engine could have become a reality years ago if only the country had not allowed "outside forces" to derail one of its strategic technology initiatives. Narayanan was in charge of the project to develop cryogenic engine.

The team had zeroed in on Russia for technology and the transfer of cryogenic technology was to be completed by 1997. Everything was going on smoothly when he was arrested in connection with the ISRO spy scandal that broke out in Kerala in 1994. He was accused of leaking vital information about the project to two Maldivian women. CBI later found that the case was fabricated and had also sought action against some police officers of Kerala, including the now-retired IPS officer Siby Mathews, for falsely implicating him in the case. Compensation and action against police officers are causes that Narayanan still pursues steadfastly, without much luck yet.

Narayanan, who developed liquidfuel rocket technology in the country, said the US was against the transfer of cryogenic technology to India and there was apprehension that it would interfere in the matter.

"The US raised objection to the transfer of cryogenic technology to India. We knew that the intervention by US could end the collaboration abruptly. So the entire programme wad speeded up," he said.

According to Narayanan, there was a general apprehension about the retaliatory measures by the US against those who collaborated with the project. "Our own national carrier was reluctant to carry the hardware.

The company was worried about the US sanctions," he said. It is for this reason that he believes that the spy scandal was the result of intervention by "outside forces", which could be other countries or agencies. An open letter in support of Nambi Narayanan written by Dr Satish Dhawan, Dr U R Rao, T N Sheshan, R Narasimha, S Chandrashekhar and Yashpal, too, had talked about the risk of "outside interferences" in the strategic initiatives of the country. The scandal demoralised ISRO scientists and delayed the project to a great extent.

Initially the USSR had decided to supply only three engines and their related hardware. "Later it was finalised that seven engines without related hardware were to be supplied," Narayanan said.