From a small launch pad, the 715-kg Nike Apache rocket rose 208 km into the sky.
The sight fascinated thousands of people in the area, which even motivated some of them to join the Indian Space Research Organisation. The Nike Apache launch was an international effort under the United Nations.
The launch took place in the presence of legends such as Vikram Sarabhai, father of the Indian space programme, E.V. Chitnis, P.D. Bhavsar, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam among others.
On February 22nd, 1969, India launched its first truly indigenous rocket.The rocket carried a few kilograms of solid propellants and rose a few kilometres into the air.
Vasant Gowariker, who later became the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, said it was “a pencil-sized rocket”.
On July 18th, 1980, India became part of a select club of nations to put their satellites into orbit using their own launch vehicles with its SLV-3 rocket launch.
Though ISRO has had its share of failures, today, India is an influential spacefaring nation.
Script: T.S Subramanian
Production and Voiceover: Yuvasree S
