It's Good to be on the Moon!
The proclamation by ISRO chief S Somnath on one fine evening of August declaring that India is on the moon is a distinctive landmark in the last fifty four years journey of ISRO. Indeed it feels good to be on the moon. It's not that ISRO didn't have more impressive feats under its belt including Mangalyaan reaching the orbit of Mars for a cost of just seven rupees per kilometre. But yes the Moon was elusive for a while, quite understandably and inevitably given our enchantment with its poetic beauty forever.
But in the jubilation of epoch making events we often overlook the process of unwavering dedication of nameless people and their persistence admist countless failures. The journey is not just about rockets, payloads and rovers rather it's a story of overwhelming emotions which could be seen in the tears of the former director K Sivan on the crash landing of Chandrayan 2. The humble begining of this exalted organisation is often circulated on social media platforms in form of pictures of scientists carrying parts of rockets on their bycycle and bullock carts. ISRO is truly a perfect 'Made In India' story working on a shoestring budget amid international bans and embargos over technology and material sharing.
Though it is the sweat and labour of many committed and dedicated individuals to bring ISRO to its soaring heights, but to name a few and share their professional and personal stories is pertinent to unravel its glorious history. First among equals was Vikram Sarabhai who is the founding father of Indian Space programme. Once Abdul Kalam said that when we were continuously failing with our research rockets for almost three years, it was only the staunch belief of Sarabhai that kept our efforts alive. Even his last conversation before death with Abdul Kalam was regarding the design review of satellite launch vehicles, India was never going to find such a charismatic scientist and leader again.
Second to none was the pair of Abdul Kalam and Dan Avaramudam who nurtured ISRO like their baby and are synonymous with the growth story of ISRO. Being close friends apart from associates, they have many interesting anecdotes to share. Once while visiting USA for a training, these staunch vegetarian friends while searching for vegetarian food joint came across a cafe run by an old lady who though didn't have vegetarian food particularly but allowed them to use her kitchen to make the same. Longing for a hearty vegetarian meal now for some time, they put all the vegetarian ingredients in a pot they could find in the kitchen including rice, baking beans, onion, garlic and enormous amount of cheese on the top. What came out of the oven was something surprisingly so delicious that the cafe lady would later sell this as the "the thing", a huge hit among the locals. Abdul Kalam would later become the President of Republic of India and Dan was the chief architect of Mangalyan, the first of its kind to achieve success in the maiden attempt by any country in the world.
Later USSR a friend and strong believer in the space story of India, helped ISRO in many ways including providing it's the first computer. Our maiden satellite named after Ancient Mathematician Aryabhatta was also launched later by USSR. From launching its first satellite through a foreign launch vehicle, polar satelite launch vehicle (PSLV) the 'Chetak' of ISRO today stands as the most economical and successful launch machine, never failing even in a single mission since the dawn of the new millennium. It has achieved rather amusing feats such as launching 100 satellites in a single mission showcasing impressive dexterity.
Today we are part of the elite world space club that can dream the impossible. With the successful soft landing of Vikram the lander and 'Pragyan' the rover taking joyful stroll across the south pole of moon, it will be soon "Gaganyan" joining the party, the first manned mission of India to Moon. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that ISRO is the true flag bearer of Indian technological prowess and a hope for developing countries about what they can achieve even with less resources.
