The Amazing Story of India's First Rocket Launch

 Hello guys, this is the story of first ever rocket launched by Indian space scientist, the first milestone in modern India’s Space Odyssey.

So, one fine  a day  Dr Sarabhai and his fellow scientist (including Dr APJ Abdul Kalam) went to Thumba village to talk to the then-bishop of Trivandrum who lived in the house of adjacent to the church. They were interested in acquiring the church and the near land for their first rocket launch.

The villagers relocated to  new village with brand new church in 100 days flat. The Bishop's home was quickly converted  into an  office.

Carefully selected by Dr Sarabhai, the then- chairman of the national committee of Space Research these young scientists and engineers had been trained in sounding rocket assembly and launching at  NASA’s Wallops island launching facility in Virginia, united States. The early recruit included former President APJ Abdul Kalam , veteran scientist R Aravmudan. Back then, even rocket parts and payloads were transported  by Bullock carts and bicycle to the  launch pad.

 It was in these unassuming setting that India staged its first launch that of Nike-Apache rocket supplied by NASA after 6 months of labour, on  21 November 1963, India was ready for its very first rocket launch. Many eminent names in Science and technology had gathered for the occasion, including Dr Homi Bhabha (the faher of indian nuclear programme) and Dr P R Pirashoty(the founder director of Indian institute of tropical Meteorology). The Governor of Kerala was also there along with the district collector and the bishop.

At 6:25 pm, the world was watching the rocket streaked  away into the gathering dusk. Minutes later a sodium vapor cloud had emerged in the sky high above, tinted Orange by setting sun. India successfully put is first signature on space.

 53 years later, Thumba is the hub  of all space programs hemmed by the Indian Space Research organization.The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre at Thumba has given India launch vehicles, Geo-stationary satellites and some of the finest Remote Sensing satellites.

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