On this day April 19, 1975, Aryabhata, the first satellite built by India, was launched. Aryabhata was built by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to conduct experiments in X-ray astronomy, aeronomics, and solar physics. The spacecraft was a 26-sided polygon with a diameter of 1.4 meters.
On its 43rd launch anniversary, we bring you 9 facts about the satellite project that you probably didn’t know before:
1. The satellite was given its name by India’s first woman Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi. It was named after the prominent Indian astronomer and mathematician of the 5th century bearing the name Aryabhata.
2. The satellite was built by ISRO and was launched by Russia from their Kapustin Yar rocket launch and development site using a Kosmos-3M launch vehicle. Directed by U.R. Rao in 1972 led him to fully take on the agreement between India and the Soviet Union, that led to the USSR to use Indian ports for tracking ships and launching vessels as a token for launching Indian satellites.
3. Data receiving centre was set up in Bangalore, where a toilet was converted to into the center for the same.
4. Due to a failure in the satellite’s electrical power system, the project was halted for four days. The spacecraft faced a power fall which led to stopping of its functioning and transmission of information before its launch.
5. The budget of the project was initially set at Rs 3 crore but it did cost a little more than it’s estimated cost, as various other equipment and accessories had to be bought.
6. Reserve Bank of India paid a homage to the project, as the satellite’s image appeared on the reverse of Indian 2 rupee banknotes between 1976 and 1997.
7. To commemorate the event, both India and Russia released commemorative stamps and first day covers.
8. It had a real-time data transmission rate of 256 bits/sec with an internal temperature ranging from 0 to 40 degrees Celsius.
9. Aryabhata re-entered Earth’s atmosphere after 17 years of its launch on February 11, 1992
Aryabhata may not have been a complete success but the project has surely opened new possibilities for ISRO which today is known for running the most cost-effective space programs and satellite launches in the world.
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