Book reviews

CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 118, NO. 5, 10 MARCH 2020 836 (viz. GSLVs) have been enumerated. Various nuances involved in the development of cryogenics are also explained in simple language. The book also talks about the development of various communication satellites operating in different frequency bands like C, Ku, Ka, etc. It mentions about the availability of a large number of transponders, how they have revolutionized the abundance of TV channels in the country, VSAT connectivity, disaster warning, communication and transfer of data from one place to the other, etc. Use of satellite communication for telemedicine and tele-education are two successful socially relevant applications in the country, according to the author. Starting from the experimental Bhaskara satellites in 1979–81, how spaceborne remote sensing has progressed in the country by leaps and bounds has been well described in some of the subsequent chapters. Various Indian Remote Sensing satellites starting from IRS 1A in 1988, operating with better and advanced sensors have catered to the needs of different applications in the field of agriculture, forestry, coastal zone, water resources, etc. Data from these satellites have also been utilized by other countries in the world. Cartographic satellites providing higher spatial resolution and stereo data have been launched. RiSAT 1 carrying a synthetic aperture radar operating in microwave frequency to observe the Earth through cloud cover has also been launched. Meteorological satellites carrying sensors to observe clouds, cloud-top temperatures and to measure humidity and temperature profiles of the atmosphere have also been part of this endeavour. Many satellites specific to measurements of ocean parameters have been also part of this effort. Several application programmes related to forecasting crop production in the country before harvest, forest extent, groundwater exploration, snow cover, glaciers, salt-affected soils, waste lands, desertification, etc. have been described. How satellite data are used to locate probable areas of schools of fish in the seas and how this helps the fishermen are also described. How satellites are found extremely useful in disaster monitoring, in particular, cyclone tracking and landfall, drought condition, flood inundation, etc. is highlighted. Mention of entry of private entrepreneurs in space activities in India augurs well for the country. The book is an easy read and is comprehensive. Readers will get an overview of the entire gamut of space activities in the country. There are a few typographical and some inadvertent errors (p. 41, INSAT 4CR, 264kg?). Timeline of launches and events and Glossary provided add value to this book. There have been a few publications of similar kind, e.g. Touching Lives by S. K. Das (Penguin Books, 2007), and From the Fishing Hamlet to the Red Planet, edited by P. V. Manoranjan Rao (Harper Collins Publishers, 2015); these could have been referred to here. Over all, it is an excellent book for the general readers that it intends to address.