ఇస్రో ప్రస్థానం: సైకిల్‌పై రాకెట్ నుంచి చంద్రుడి దక్షిణ ధ్రువం వరకు

ISRO's journey: From rockets on bicycles to the Moon's south pole

It was the evening of August 23, 2023. Crores of Indians sat with bated breath in front of their TVs and phones. At 6:04 PM, the Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander landed safely on the south pole of the Moon. India created history by becoming the first country to land in that region. But the foundation of this success was laid sixty years ago, in a small church.

Thumba — one church, one bicycle

In 1962, the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was formed under the leadership of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai. A rocket launch center was set up in Thumba, a fishing village near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. The church building there became the office and laboratory. The first sounding rocket was launched from there on November 21, 1963. Photos of rocket components being transported on bicycles and bullock carts are still famous. The young scientist APJ Abdul Kalam was also part of that team.

The formation of ISRO (1969)

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was formed on 15 August 1969. In 1975, the first satellite "Aryabhata" was launched into orbit by a Soviet rocket. In 1980, India's own rocket SLV-3 launched the Rohini satellite into orbit. Abdul Kalam was the director of this project.

Sriharikota — The gateway to space on Telugu soil

Sriharikota Island, located in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, is India's main launch center. It is now called the Satish Dhawan Space Center. Its proximity to the equator and the ocean to the east make it suitable for launches. Almost all the big rockets launched by India have taken off from here. The National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC) in Hyderabad plays a key role in analyzing satellite images.

PSLV — A Faithful Horse

Despite the failure of its first launch in 1993, PSLV has achieved consecutive successes since 1994. In February 2017, it set a world record by putting 104 satellites into orbit in a single launch. ISRO also earns foreign exchange by launching satellites of other countries at a low cost.

Moon, Mars, Sun

• Chandrayaan-1 (2008): Played a key role in detecting traces of water molecules on the Moon.

• Mangalyaan (2013–14): India became the first country to reach Mars orbit on its first attempt. The cost was reported by the world media to be less than the budget of a Hollywood movie.

• Chandrayaan-2 (2019): The orbiter was successful but the lander crashed in the final moments. Chandrayaan-3 learned lessons from that failure.

• Chandrayaan-3 (2023): Soft landing near the South Pole. That day is now celebrated as National Space Day.

• Aditya-L1 (2023): India's first mission to study the Sun.

Private space sector — Hyderabad's role

Recently, the government opened the space sector to private companies. Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace conducted the country's first private rocket launch with the "Vikram-S" rocket in November 2022. This is a matter of pride for the Telugu states. Many startups are working in the manufacturing of satellites and components.

What's next?

ISRO plans to launch the "Gaganyaan" mission to send humans into space, build India's own space station, and more missions to the moon.

Conclusion

ISRO has shown what can be achieved with limited resources and great determination. The country that carried a rocket on a bicycle has today stood up to the world's space powers. This story is an inspiration for every Telugu student studying science.

Photo: Indian Space Research Organisation / Wikimedia Commons (GODL-India)