Born into violence, poverty and the desolation of colonial exploitation, newly independent India was a nation working hard to find its footing.
But its head was held high––high as the clouds.
The story of India’s space programme is such an unlikely one, with so many uncommon characters, filled with such impossible odds, that it can sometimes seem like science fiction rather than science.
This is that story.
Episode 13
Sending a man to space had never been on the agenda for the founders of the Indian space programme. But in 1980, the USSR approached the Indian government to ask if it would be interested in sending an Indian to space. ISRO wasn’t very keen on it but Prime Minister Indira Gandhi jumped at the offer. Two airforce pilots were chosen for the project and went through a grueling training routine in Moscow’s Star City. Only one among them would get to be the first Indian in space though.
Episode 12
Sending a man to space had never been on the agenda for the founders of the Indian space programme. But in 1980, the USSR approached the Indian government to ask if it would be interested in sending an Indian to space. ISRO wasn’t very keen on it but Prime Minister Indira Gandhi jumped at the offer. Two airforce pilots were chosen for the project and went through a grueling training routine in Moscow’s Star City. Only one among them would get to be the first Indian in space though.
Episode 11
The launch of India’s first satellite launch vehicle did not go as planned. Instead of travelling into the skies, the rocket crashed into the sea. APJ Abdul Kalam, the project leader, was dejected and embarrassed. He was even ready to resign. But Dr. Satish Dhawan had immense faith in his abilities. A second chance was given to him and his team. The entire country was watching this attempt with renewed interest. Would they succeed this time?
Episode 10
After Aryabhata and SITE, there was one ambitious project that remained: the design, building and launch of India’s first satellite launching vehicle. This project would give the Indian space programme a sense of self-sufficiency. We would no longer have to depend on other countries to launch our rockets and satellites. But once again, we did not have any expertise for it. Dr. Satish Dhawan picks a young engineer to head the project. All eyes are on him but can he pull off this massive feat?
Episode 9
The same year that India launched its first satellite, our space scientists launched another massive, ambitious and one-of-a-kind project. The British science fiction writer Arthur C Clarke would describe it as the “greatest communications experiment in history.” This is the story of a project that would leverage space technology and bring its benefits to the common man’s doorstep.
Episode 8
One of the first projects that Dr. Satish Dhawan has to steer to success is the building and launch of India’s first satellite. The man in-charge of the project is a young and ambitious scientist and engineer called Dr. UR Rao. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is lenient with funds. The USSR too is keen on helping our scientists but on the condition that it sets a record. The question is if we can pull off such an ambitious project.
Episode 7
The Indian space programme now has to find a new leader and it has to be somebody who can steer the many ambitious projects to success in a short span of time. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi has someone in mind for the job: A Bangalore-based Punjabi aeronautics engineer, a reputed scientist and a man known for his exceptional management skills. The question is if he will accept such a daunting role. When the Prime Minister’s office makes the call, the answer is neither a yes nor a no.
Episode 6
Having lost two of his key allies, it is up to Vikram Sarabhai now to carry India’s space programme forward. He drowns himself in work and sets up the foundation for a range of projects — from building and designing an indigenous rocket launching programme to building satellites and even a satellite launching vehicle. He […]
Episode 5
India launching its first sounding rocket was only a small step. Vikram Sarabhai dreamt big: He wanted India to waste no time in building and launching our own rockets, satellites and satellite launching vehicles. But we still had no expertise or resources for any of it. Sarabhai finds a way and for that, India enters the ‘other’ space race. As India raced to the finish line, it gained a key ally but lost two others.
Episode 4
The stage is set for India’s first rocket launch. India’s space scientists have returned after their training at NASA. The rockets and their payloads will soon arrive ready to be assembled. Thumba, the fishing hamlet-turned-rocket launching station too is gearing up to kickstart India’s space ambitions. Will everything go as planned? Did a proud nation celebrate its first rocket launch?
Episode 3
After finding an ideal launch site for India’s space programme, it was time to recruit India’s first space scientists and send them to America for training at NASA. Handpicked by Vikram Sarabhai, a small group of scientists finally landed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre and began their training to launch India’s first sounding rocket. Wide-eyed and enthusiastic, the scientists made the most of their visit and gained a peek into American rocketry. Incidentally, one of the scientists even found something that reminded him of India’s history with rockets.
Episode 2
In a tiny fishing hamlet in Kerala in south India, a priest was getting ready to deliver his Sunday sermon at church the next day. There’s a knock on his door. Vikram Sarabhai stood in front of the priest with a strange request.
Episode 1
The end of the 2nd world war heralded the beginning of the “space race”. The biggest powers in the world at the time started trying to outdo each other with their space accomplishments. In the middle of all this, 1/5th of human population had just received political freedom and a new country called India was born. India had space ambitions too, but for completely different reasons, and thanks to 2 audacious gentlemen, we got started. Serendipity was Indian space programme’s best friend and ally during its early years.