Do you know that ISRO launched its first satellite in 1975 on this day and it was not launched by India!
A toilet in Banglore was converted to data receiving centre for the satellite.
Indian space research institute was established in August 15,1969. Indian astronauts geared up to take the science to the heights in India. Students turned passionate about science and dreamed to become scientists. In the beginning, the space station was keen on the developmental issues in the country and started working on different developmental projects and experiments.
However, ISRO launched its first space satellite on 19th April 1975. The project was named Aryabhata satellite. Aryabhata, as we all know, was the renowned Indian mathematician and astronomer hence, the satellite was named after him as Aryabhata satellite. Aryabhata is also known for the invention of zero and has contributed a lot in mathematics.
Till now ISRO holds the record of launching most satellites by one rocket. The launch of the Aryabhata satellite is considered the first milestone in the Indian space research and its launch was celebrated by reserve bank of India and issued Rs 2 currency notes with its picture on it. ISRO has sent a satellite to Mars and is considered among the top ten space research centres in the world. Here we bring some of the interesting facts about the satellite.
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1: The satellite was successfully launched on 19th April in 1975, it only weighed 360 kg and was launched from the then USSR’s, Kapustin Yar rocket launch. This fact may surprise but this is true that our first satellite was not launched from our land.
2: Its launch was an agreement with USSR signed in 1972. In its exchange the India government allowed USSR to use its ports to track the ships.
3: The name Aryabhata to the satellite was given by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
4: However, the name Aryabhata was not in the suggestion list of ISRO. ISRO had suggested two names; Jawahar (Indira Gandhi’s father and first prime minister of India) and Maitri (a Hindi word which means friendship in English).
5: The purpose of the Aryabhata satellite was experimentation in X-ray astronomy, agronomics, and solar physics.
6: The satellite had a diameter of 1.4 meter and had the shape of 26-sided polygon.
7: This fact is hard to believe but as they say that fact is a fact, we cannot change it. You may wonder to know that the information receiving Centre was a toilet. Yes, you heard it right the ISRO had converted a toilet in Banglore into the data receiving centre.
8: Firstly, the cost estimation for the project was three crores but it went beyond that. Some claim that the actual cost is not known to public till now.
9: You may also know that its launch was not successful in its first attempt. It had fallen in its first attempt which caused damage to its electric power system.
10: Aryabhata re-entered into our planet’s atmosphere on 11 February 1992 that is 17 years after its launch.
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