India's Space Programme Marks 60 Years Since First Rocket Launch
The article commemorates the 60th anniversary of India's space program, which began on November 21, 1963, with the launch of a 715-kg Nike Apache rocket from Thumba, a fishing village near Thiruvananthapuram. The rocket rose 208 km into the sky, witnessed by thousands, including pioneers Vikram Sarabhai, E.V. Chitnis, P.D. Bhavsar, and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. This launch was an international effort under the United Nations. India launched its first fully indigenous rocket on February 22, 1969, described as 'pencil-sized' by Vasant Gowariker. On July 18, 1980, India joined the elite club of nations capable of placing satellites into orbit using its own SLV-3 rocket. Despite failures, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has grown into a major spacefaring power.
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