ISRO General News and Updates

Hindustani78

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A file photo of models of the unmanned lunar rovers developed by Team Indus. | Photo Credit: AFP

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/te...ver-project/article22406266.ece?homepage=true

Bengaluru, January 09, 2018 21:33 IST
Updated: January 09, 2018 23:01 IST

Launch contract with ISRO’s business arm Antrix has reportedly been cancelled

An Indian space startup’s dream of landing a rover on Moon in March may have got dashed.

The launch contract of TeamIndus with ISRO’s business arm Antrix Corporation has reportedly been cancelled.

Officials of Antrix and TeamIndus declined to respond to queries about this mission. One ISRO person in the know said unofficially, it looked like the deal and the launch on the PSLV were off.

Unnamed sum

TeamIndus had booked ISRO’s light lift rocket PSLV in December 2016 to launch its spacecraft and signed that deal with Antrix for an unnamed sum. The Bengaluru startup was the lone Indian bid for the $ 30-million Google Lunar XPrize contest, which stipulates that candidates should raise around 90% of their funds from non-government sources.

A report in news portal The Ken cited the contract was cancelled as TeamIndus was short of funds to pay for the launch, among other issues.

A Japanese co-contestant, spacecraft Hakuto, was also slated to ride along with TeamIndus’s spacecraft all the way to Moon. Now it would also be out of the race.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, one of the investors in the enterprise, reacted in a tweet: “Team Indus, the first Indian space startup, drops out of Moon race - most unfortunate but they say they will still try to reach out to launchers outside the country as a last effort.”

Official hint

In fact the first official hint on the fate of the private lunar mission came from ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar a few weeks ago. He had said on a television programme during a recent FICCI meet in Delhi, “There are a lot of challenges for [TeamIndus] both in terms of technology and their constraint in getting the funds they require for it. It is not easy to bridge the gap of building the technology capability needed for an activity such as this. They have much work ahead.”

In October, TeamIndus CEO Rahul Narayan had said they were raising the second half of the funds needed to complete the mission. And that their lunar mission would cost them around $ 65 million (around ₹450 crore). Part of it had come from early investors and promoters, including Nandan Nilekani, Ratan Tata, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw of Biocon, ‘big bull’ Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, and Flipkart’s co-founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal.

He had also said their spacecraft would have to be launched by March 6-8 “in the worst case.”

One source who asked not to be named said TeamIndus had paid one milestone instalment so far. Many approvals were also due from the Central government as nations are accountable for space missions under the UN space law.

Space industry sources said it would take several months for TeamIndus if it wanted to go to a suitable international launcher for its 600-kg-plus spacecraft and 60-kg lander-rover, apart from matching the technical and procedural requirements.

Globally, there is a big launch gap for boosters that can launch such small spacecraft; and they also need much expertise to put them on a trajectory to Moon. The PSLV flew ISRO’s Chandrayaan-1 in 2008.
 

Hindustani78

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A file photo of models of the unmanned lunar rovers developed by Team Indus. | Photo Credit: AFP

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/te...ver-project/article22406266.ece?homepage=true

Bengaluru, January 09, 2018 21:33 IST
Updated: January 09, 2018 23:01 IST

Launch contract with ISRO’s business arm Antrix has reportedly been cancelled

An Indian space startup’s dream of landing a rover on Moon in March may have got dashed.

The launch contract of TeamIndus with ISRO’s business arm Antrix Corporation has reportedly been cancelled.

Officials of Antrix and TeamIndus declined to respond to queries about this mission. One ISRO person in the know said unofficially, it looked like the deal and the launch on the PSLV were off.

Unnamed sum

TeamIndus had booked ISRO’s light lift rocket PSLV in December 2016 to launch its spacecraft and signed that deal with Antrix for an unnamed sum. The Bengaluru startup was the lone Indian bid for the $ 30-million Google Lunar XPrize contest, which stipulates that candidates should raise around 90% of their funds from non-government sources.

A report in news portal The Ken cited the contract was cancelled as TeamIndus was short of funds to pay for the launch, among other issues.

A Japanese co-contestant, spacecraft Hakuto, was also slated to ride along with TeamIndus’s spacecraft all the way to Moon. Now it would also be out of the race.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, one of the investors in the enterprise, reacted in a tweet: “Team Indus, the first Indian space startup, drops out of Moon race - most unfortunate but they say they will still try to reach out to launchers outside the country as a last effort.”

Official hint

In fact the first official hint on the fate of the private lunar mission came from ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar a few weeks ago. He had said on a television programme during a recent FICCI meet in Delhi, “There are a lot of challenges for [TeamIndus] both in terms of technology and their constraint in getting the funds they require for it. It is not easy to bridge the gap of building the technology capability needed for an activity such as this. They have much work ahead.”

In October, TeamIndus CEO Rahul Narayan had said they were raising the second half of the funds needed to complete the mission. And that their lunar mission would cost them around $ 65 million (around ₹450 crore). Part of it had come from early investors and promoters, including Nandan Nilekani, Ratan Tata, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw of Biocon, ‘big bull’ Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, and Flipkart’s co-founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal.

He had also said their spacecraft would have to be launched by March 6-8 “in the worst case.”

One source who asked not to be named said TeamIndus had paid one milestone instalment so far. Many approvals were also due from the Central government as nations are accountable for space missions under the UN space law.

Space industry sources said it would take several months for TeamIndus if it wanted to go to a suitable international launcher for its 600-kg-plus spacecraft and 60-kg lander-rover, apart from matching the technical and procedural requirements.

Globally, there is a big launch gap for boosters that can launch such small spacecraft; and they also need much expertise to put them on a trajectory to Moon. The PSLV flew ISRO’s Chandrayaan-1 in 2008.
 
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Hindustani78

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http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...in-6-months/story-2BSweD1xc79jnApAFcQnaL.html

Meet the Martians: Doon students undertake three Mars simulation missions in 6 months

N Adhithiyan and Rohan Chandra, both third-year aerospace engineering students at Dehradun’s University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, represented India at the Poland Mars Analogue Simulation in the east European country last year. This was followed by two remote simulation missions for US-based projects.
india Updated: Jan 09, 2018 11:57 IST

Neha Pant
Hindustan Times, Dehradun




Both N Adhithiyan and Rohan Chandra admit to a fascination for Mars as well as other cosmic bodies.(Getty Images)

  • When N Adhithiyan and Rohan Chandra first watched Matt Damon-starrer The Martian upon its release in 2015, they scarcely imagined becoming an integral part of several Mars simulation missions in the years to come.

    The two third-year aerospace engineering students at Dehradun’s University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) have participated in three Mars analogue simulation missions, undertaken in conditions similar to those on the red planet, in a span of just six months.

    Adhithiyan and Rohan – both 20 – represented India at the Poland Mars Analogue Simulation (PMAS) project in the east European country last July-August, where they were part of its mission support team. This group, which comprised over 25 students and young professionals from places across the world, worked closely with another team of six analogue astronauts who lived in an artificially created Mars habitat in Poland.

    The PMAS was organised by the Space Exploration Project Group of the Space Generation Advisory Council, in collaboration with the European Space Agency.

    Since then, they have been part of the mission support teams of two more Martian analogue simulation missions: One held at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) at Utah in the United States in December 2017, and then the Mars Academy USA (MAU) analogue simulation at the Mojave desert (organised by the Mars Society USA) in January 2018. Adithiyan and Chandra worked remotely from India for the two projects.



Rohan Chandra functioned as a record officer at the PMAS-2017.

While Rohan functioned as a record officer at the PMAS to maintain log records for the habitat, Adhithiyan – in his capacity as the science data officer – handled all kinds of scientific data related to various experiments performed during the mission.

“We (the mission control team) put the astronauts through events like fire and gas leak simulations, observed how they reacted, and recorded their responses for actual Mars missions in the future,” recalls Adhithiyan, who – along with the team – learnt to work on a 15-minute time-delayed communication (on the lines of the time taken by signals to travel between Mars and Earth) link during the mission.

Adhithiyan hails from Chennai, and wants to be a space explorer.

Local lad Rohan, on the other hand, aims to become a rocket-missile engineer. “We worked with people from over 25 countries at the PMAS. It was an incredible learning experience,” he says.

Adhithiyan worked as an internal management & communication officer for the MAU as well as MDRS missions, interacting with members of support teams working remotely from various countries. Rohan, in his role as the planning and scheduling officer, was responsible for preparing schedules as well as daily operations for the missions.



N Adhithiyan fulfilled the role of a science data officer at the PMAS-2017
.
Prior to this, the duo had been part of the university’s 23-member Team Astral that secured the world no 1 ranking in CanSat 2017, a global satellite-designing contest held at Texas, United States, in June last year. “Now that we know what goes into planning a real-life (simulation) mission, we can connect with sci-fi movies (like Armageddon and October Sky) at a much more personal and technical level,” says Rohan.

Adhithiyan and Rohan now look forward to participating in another analogue simulation mission remotely this March.

Ugur Guven, professor of aerospace engineering and vice president (international affairs) at UPES, points out how the success of India’s own space programmes has inspired young aerospace students. “Made at a budget lower than a Hollywood sci-fi film, India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) has turned out to be a phenomenal inspiration for students,” he says, adding that films like The Martian took hands-on information from simulation projects like the PMAS.

MOM, which has been orbiting the red planet since 2014, cost the Indian Space Research Organisation Rs 450 crore ($73 million) to make. On the other hand, the budget of Sandra Bullock-starrer Gravity came up to $100 million.
 

Hindustani78

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http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/isro-eyes-launch-of-its-100th-satellite/526251.html

Bengaluru, January 9

India will launch ISRO’s 100th satellite along with 30 others in a single mission on January 12 from Sriharikota, in a milestone event in the country’s space history. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said it was “back in the game” with the launch, the first Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) mission after the unsuccessful launch of the navigation satellite IRNSS-1H in August last.

“The 31 spacecraft, including weather observation Cartosat-2 series satellite, will be launched by PSLV-C40,” ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) director M Annadurai said today. Stating that 28 of the satellites were from abroad, the official noted that the launch of three Indian satellites during the mission would mark the rollout of the 100th satellite from ISRO.

“When the last satellite is ejected out, it will become the 100th satellite... the first century we have done. It is the maiden century. So PSLV-C40 marks the maiden century of Indian satellite... we are eagerly waiting for that,” he said. PSLV-C40 will launch the 710-kg Cartosat-2 series satellite for earth observation and 30 co-passengers (together weighing 613 kg) at lift-off on January 12 at 09.28 am, ISRO said. It will be launched from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, about 100 km from Chennai.

The co-passenger satellites include one micro and nano satellite each from India. Three micro and 25 nano satellites from six countries, namely Canada, Finland, France, Republic of Korea, UK and USA, make up the other payload.

Referring to the PSLV-C39 failure, Annadurai said ISRO had understood it and repeated tests had been conducted to ensure that such problems did not reoccur. This took slightly more time for the PSLV-C40 launch.

On August 31, India’s mission to launch its backup navigation satellite IRNSS-1H on board PSLV-C39 failed after a technical fault on the final leg following a perfect launch.

The total weight of all the 31 satellites carried on board PSLV-C40 is 1,323 kg. — PTI
 

Hindustani78

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PSLV-C40 will mark Isro's maiden century
DH News Service, Bengaluru, Jan 10 2018, 1:50 IST

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/652877/pslv-c40-mark-isros-maiden.html

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C40 (PSLV-C40), which is scheduled for a launch on January 12 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, will mark the maiden century of satellites for the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), said M Annadurai, director of the Isro Satellite Centre.

He was speaking at the inauguration of a two-month-long exhibition on Astrosat, India's first astronomy mission, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium here.

Annadurai said of 31 satellites being carried by the PSLV-C40, three of them are Indian and one of them is the 100th satellite independently developed by Isro.

The payload from India will have the 710 kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite for earth observation, a microsatellite and a nanosatellite.

Annadurai interacted with students attending the exhibition at the planetarium and explained to them the working of the satellite with the helpof a 3D printed scaled down model.

"We have downloaded 12 terabytes of data from the satellite and many papers have been published. There is a lot of interest from foreign and Indian scientists," he said.

Annadurai said the Chandrayaan-II was in the final stages of integration and would also be launched this year.

The Chandrayaan-II, unlike the first lunar mission Chandrayaan-I, would land on the moon. A six-foot-tall rover will take soil samples and other tests to check if the observations made from the first mission were correct, he added.

"Bengaluru is ready for you and the place where these satellites are built is only a few kilometers away. If you too are ready, you can be a part of future missions such as Chandrayaan-III and IV or Aryabhata II and III," Annadurai said.He encouraged students to complete their degrees and stay in the country.

"You don't have to go to the United States of America (USA) to get opportunities. Even German, American, and European scientists are coming here," he said.

*******
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/652967/sivan-k-named-isro-chairman.html

Sivan K named new ISRO chairman

Press Trust of India, New Delhi, Jan 10 2018, 18:46 IST

Sivan joined the ISRO in 1982 in PSLV project and has contributed immensely towards the end to end mission planning, mission design, mission integration and analysis. PTI file photo


The government today appointed renowned scientist Sivan K as the chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to replace A S Kiran Kumar.


The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved his appointment as secretary, Department of Space and chairman of Space Commission for a tenure of three years, an order issued by the personnel ministry said.


Sivan, at present Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, will succeed Kumar, who was appointed on January 12, 2015.


He graduated from Madras Institute of Technology in aeronautical engineering in 1980 and completed Master of Engineering in Aerospace engineering from IISc, Bangalore in 1982, according to his biodata.


Subsequently, he completed his PhD in Aerospace engineering from IIT, Bombay in 2006.


Sivan joined the ISRO in 1982 in PSLV project and has contributed immensely towards the end to end mission planning, mission design, mission integration and analysis.


He has numerous publications in various journals and is a fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering, Aeronautical Society of India and Systems Society of India.


Sivan has received numerous awards throughout his career which includes Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) from Sathyabama University, Chennai in April 2014 and Shri Hari Om Ashram Prerit Dr Vikram Sarabhai Research award for 1999.

 

Hindustani78

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Department of Space
10-January, 2018 20:04 IST
Dr. Sivan K appointed as Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman Space Commission

The appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal based on the recommendation of the SCSC, for appointment of Dr. Sivan K, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC )as Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman Space Commission vice Dr. A.S. Kiran Kumar, with a tenure of three years, from the date of assumption of charge of the post.

***
 

Hindustani78

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As ISRO readies to launch Cartosat-2 satellite today, tension builds over August disaster

ISRO will also be launching its 100th satellite into the space along with 30 other satellites, including 28 from six other countries from its spaceport at Sriharikota.
india Updated: Jan 11, 2018 23:58 IST

Malavika Vyawahare
Hindustan Times, New Delhi

Indian Space Research Organisation PSLV C38, carrying earth observation satellite of Cartosat-2 Series and 30 co-passenger satellites of various countries, lifts off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.(PTI FILE)

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...st-disaster/story-7cXyKjwaXGLBOyAIE6RYwO.html


  • Starting 9.29 am on Friday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be in for a nail-biting seven minutes and 15 seconds. That is when the space agency will launch the seventh satellite of its Cartosat-2 series from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, in an event closely watched across India and abroad.

    ISRO, which suffered an embarrassment on August 31 last year, will try to set the record straight with this satellite. According to a press release, its 41st flight had failed to launch back then due to a glitch in heat-shield separation.

    On Friday, ISRO will also be launching its 100th satellite into the space along with 30 other satellites, including 28 from six other countries from its spaceport at Sriharikota, a top space agency official told IANS.

    “Of the three Indian spacecraft being launched on January 12 -- the 100kg micro satellite will be the 100th that will be ejected out of the rocket last into the earth’s orbit,” ISRO Satellite Centre director M Annadurai told the news agency.

    The other two are the 710 kg Cartosat in 2 series for earth observation and a 5kg nano satellite.

    This week has been an eventful one for India’s space agency. Though the satellite was originally supposed to be launched on January 10, the event was postponed by two days.


    The government announced K Sivan’s appointment as ISRO chairperson, replacing AS Kiran Kumar, two days before the launch. Kumar’s tenure ends on Friday.

    “We are busy with Friday’s launch right now,” Sivan told HT over the telephone soon after his appointment. “This launch is very important to us because it comes after a failure. We are working hard to make this a success.”

    The Cartosat-2 remote-sensing satellite is the main payload aboard the PSLV C-40. It will boost data services for urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, monitoring of road networks, water distribution, and land-use mapping. The PSLV will also bear micro and nano-satellites from India, besides co-passenger satellites from Canada, Finland, France, Republic of Korea, UK and the United States. ISRO made almost Rs 300 crore from foreign satellite launches in 2016-17. ISRO officials have maintained over the past year that smaller satellite launches will play a big role in the future.

    Doordarshan and the ISRO website will live telecast the launch.

    (With agency inputs)
 

Kyubi

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Amazing century maar di ISRO ne , may the force be with you ISRO !![emoji481][emoji482][emoji898]

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 

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Pakistan objects to India’s Cartosat-2s satellite launch

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Pakistan said that the dual nature of the satellite can lead to "a build-up of destabilizing military capabilities"
  • Indian Space Research Organization today launched its 100th satellite, Cartosat-2 into the space
Image courtesy: Isro
NEW DELHI: A day before India was to launch its 100th satellite, Pakistan raised objections over the launch of the satellite and said that its dual nature, military as well as civilian, of the satellite can have a "negative impact on the regional strategic stability".

"According to media reports, India is set to launch 31 satellites including the earth observation spacecraft Cartosat, on 12th January 2018. All space technologies, including earth observation satellites, are inherently dual use and can be employed for both civilian and military purposes," spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan Dr Mohammad Faisal said in a media briefing.

Responding to a question posed by a reporter, Faisal said that the dual nature of the satellite can lead to "a build-up of destabilizing military capabilities".

"All states have a legitimate right to pursue peaceful uses of space technologies. However, given the dual-use nature of such technologies, it is essential that such pursuits are not directed towards a build-up of destabilizing military capabilities, which can negatively impact the regional strategic stability," he added.


The Indian microsatellite will demonstrate a new technology which will allow capturing of images at night and will also provide high resolution scene specific spot imageries.

The imagery transmitted by the satellite will be related to areas of cartographic, urban & rural applications, coastal land use, road network & monitoring and water distribution.
 

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Pakistan objects to India’s Cartosat-2s satellite launch

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Pakistan said that the dual nature of the satellite can lead to "a build-up of destabilizing military capabilities"
  • Indian Space Research Organization today launched its 100th satellite, Cartosat-2 into the space
Image courtesy: Isro
NEW DELHI: A day before India was to launch its 100th satellite, Pakistan raised objections over the launch of the satellite and said that its dual nature, military as well as civilian, of the satellite can have a "negative impact on the regional strategic stability".

"According to media reports, India is set to launch 31 satellites including the earth observation spacecraft Cartosat, on 12th January 2018. All space technologies, including earth observation satellites, are inherently dual use and can be employed for both civilian and military purposes," spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan Dr Mohammad Faisal said in a media briefing.

Responding to a question posed by a reporter, Faisal said that the dual nature of the satellite can lead to "a build-up of destabilizing military capabilities".

"All states have a legitimate right to pursue peaceful uses of space technologies. However, given the dual-use nature of such technologies, it is essential that such pursuits are not directed towards a build-up of destabilizing military capabilities, which can negatively impact the regional strategic stability," he added.


The Indian microsatellite will demonstrate a new technology which will allow capturing of images at night and will also provide high resolution scene specific spot imageries.

The imagery transmitted by the satellite will be related to areas of cartographic, urban & rural applications, coastal land use, road network & monitoring and water distribution.
News of success is always great. But if it causes heart burn to our detractors, it is even more sweet. I wish there was a way to give 100 likes here ;-)
 

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Pakistan objects to India’s Cartosat-2s satellite launch

Faisal said "it is essential that such pursuits are not directed towards a build-up of destabilizing military capabilities, which can negatively impact the regional strategic stability," he added.
Really? The Pakis are nowhere in the picture where strategic stability is concerned. They're light years behind us in all fields (except export of terrorism). So WTF is he talking about? Do they for a moment think there is 'strategic stability' between us? Lol!!
 

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Wow, what a launch. And then comes the most awaited announcement "PSLV perfaarmence naarmal" Dil khush kar dia.

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For those who missed the launch.....Here's how it was done....

 
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Bornubus

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Congratulations ISRO for making us proud since the time of First Indian Satellite Aryabhata (named by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ) to PSLV C40 today


images (2).jpg



1_041916102120.jpg



images (1).jpg
 

Mikesingh

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Congratulations ISRO for making us proud since the time of First Indian Satellite Aryabhata to PSLV C40 today
Transported on a Bicycle, Launched from a Church!

It was 53 years ago, on November 21 1963, that a small rocket took off from Thumba on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram, announcing the birth of the modern space age in India. The sleepy palm-fringed village soon came to be known as Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launch Station (TERLS) and later became Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).

One fine day, Dr Sarabhai and his fellow scientists (including Dr APJ Abdul Kalam) went to Thumba to talk to the then-bishop of Trivandrum who lived in the house adjacent to the church. They were interested in acquiring the church and the nearby land for their first rocket launch. Instead of giving them a definite answer, Reverend Peter Bernard Pereira asked them to attend the Sunday mass that week, where he would put the question to the parishioners.

Thanks to the Reverend’s efforts, permission was granted, the paperwork was done and the villagers relocated to a new village with a brand new church in 100 days flat.

The bishop’s home was quickly converted into an office, the church became the workshop, and cattle sheds served as storage houses and laboratories. Undeterred by the little funding and few facilities, a handful of enthusiastic young Indian scientists began assembling their first rocket.



Nose cone being brought on bicycle to Thumba.

Thumba had no canteen or facilities of any sort, so the scientists would cycle every day to the railway station at Trivandrum for their breakfast and dinner (they would get their lunch packed). In those days, the only jeep was always busy, so the scientists had to either walk or use a cycle to move within the range!


The Nike-Apache rocket parts being brought to the Thumba launch pad




The Nike-Apache rocket being readied for launch

Extracted from The Better India


And now this........(Click to enlarge)









MCC

We've come a long way, baby!! :)




.
 

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