India's Footprint on Space and Beyond

-- Hatim Abbas Johar, 7-A, New Indian School

Sunday, January 14, 2024

India has recently gained prominence in the field of science and technology, notably through successful space missions conducted by ISRO. Chandrayan 3, the first mission to land on the moon's south pole, and Aditya-L1, aimed at studying the sun's surface, have gained global attention. Indian astronauts, such as Rakesh Sharma and Kalpana Chawla, have also made significant contributions to space exploration.

Certainly, the legacy of India's achievements in space exploration is deeply intertwined with the contributions of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. Known as the "People's President" and the "Missile Man of India," Kalam played an important role in shaping India's space and defence capabilities. As the chief architect of India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Program, he laid the foundation for the successful development of missile technology.

One of the mission that increased the pride of India by gathering worldwide attention was The Aryabhata satellite it was the first satellite sent to space by ISRO on April 19 1975 whish was an experimental satellite to learn more about operating satellites. It was sent by a Russian rocket launcher though but it was a project of India and named after a famous Indian mathematician.

India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), unofficially named Mangalyaan, illustrates its achievements. Launched in Andhra Pradesh, it entered Martian orbit on September 24, 2014, and was celebrated for being one of the most cost-effective space missions globally.

PSLV-C37 was the 39th mission of the Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)it was launched on 15 February 2017.PSLV-37launched 104 satellites and locked a record for itself.

Despite successes, India faced failures, like the Chandrayan 2 mission's fuel shortage leading to a moon surface crash and the SLV-3 carrying Rohini Technology Payload failing due to engineering errors. However, as they say “Failure is a part of the game”.

In conclusion, India's strides in space exploration encompass successful missions, failures, and pride-inducing contributions from astronauts, shaping the nation's standing in the global scientific community.

Hatim Abbas Johar, 7-A, New Indian School