The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has decided to change the way it names its launch vehicles, opting for the more concise and impressive name ‘Pushpak’ for its reusable launch vehicle. This shift comes after years of using long-winded names like Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
According to a retired senior ISRO official, foreign space agencies have shorter and more memorable names for their rockets, such as Ariane from Arianespace and Long March and Soyuz from China and Russia. India’s first sounding rocket was named Rohini, but later rockets were named based on the orbit they served.
ISRO has shifted its naming strategy to focus on the purpose of the satellites, with earth observation satellites now named EOS followed by a serial number. The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System was renamed NavIC, drawing from the words navigation and ‘Indian Constellation,’ with ‘navik’ meaning ‘sailor’ in Sanskrit.
Former ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair suggested looking into scriptures and culture to come up with names that signify the features and power of the new rockets. Despite proposals like naming the radar imaging satellite RISAT as ‘Sanjay’ after a character in the Mahabharata, the idea was not implemented, as shared by Tapan Misra, Founding Director and Chief Scientist at Sisir Radar Private Ltd and former Director at the Space Applications Centre of ISRO.
