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India’s first scientific satellite Aryabhatta was launched into |blt on the 19th April 1975. It was named after the great Indian aronomer and mathematician of the fifth century. The satellite 3 designed by the Indian scientists at the Indian Satellite Centre at ngalore with the assistance of Soviet scientists.A few weeks be-jpv»e it was launched, it underwent checks and tests at a Soviet cosmodrome.
The 360 kg. satellite began orbiting the earth at an altitude of
* about 600 kms. after it was launched by a Soviet Intercosmos rocket
> from a Soviet cosmodrome. It is orbiting at a speed of 96’41
minutes per revolution round the earth. By putting Aryabhatta into
•pace the Indian scientists have won a place for themselves and
for their country in the world of space science.
The Aryabhatta was the heaviest satellite (360 kg) ever launched by any country in the world in its first attempt. Its launching marked a significant event in India’s advance towards space technology and self-reliance. This historic event placed India in the eleventh position among the nations of the world, who have successfully orbited their satellite, namely : the Soviet Union, the United States of America, Britain, Canada, Australia, Japan, Italy, West Germany, France and China. Out of these countries only the Soviet Union, the United States of America, China, Japan and France have been able to develop their own launching vehicles. It is expected that India will develop its rocket launchers in the near future.
The 26-faced blue and violet spacecraft, 147 centimetres in diameter and 111 centimetres in height was launched with the following parametres : apogee height 623 km ; perigree 564 km ; inclination 50’4 degrees and orbital period around the earth 96.41 minutes. It was envisaged to conduct three experiments namely : X-ray astronomy for the detection and study of X-ray emission from outer space, study of solar neutron and gamma rays, emanating from the Sun and study of aeronomy...