The launch of India’s heaviest and most powerful rocket was a sight to behold and also a roar to remember.
The loud cheers and elated audience resembled that of a stadium, but it had nothing to do with sports. It was a celebration and acknowledgement of India’s progress in space science. The viewers’ gallery at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota erupted in jubilation as the 640-tonne GSLV Mk III ‘Baahubali’ rocket lifted off from the second launch pad, carrying the 3.85-tonne Chandrayaan-2 module.
Monday’s 2:43 pm launch comes a week after the rocket’s take-off was aborted due to a technical snag on July 15. ISRO had taken the decision considering abundant precaution, after a leak was detected shortly after the cryogenic fuels were filled in the final stage of the three-stage rocket.
People turned out in large numbers to witness the launch from the barely three-month-old launch gallery that seats around 7,000. Such swelling crowds consisting of science and space enthusiasts are unusual for the spaceport that usually is only open to journalists and special invitees.
The launch of India’s heaviest and most powerful rocket was a sight to behold and also a roar to remember. As journalists gathered on the terrace of the ISRO media centre would observe, the S-200 solid-stage boosters of the launch vehicle let out a thunderous roar and crackle almost 30 seconds into the ascent.
What PM Modi told ISRO chief K Sivan
(Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessing the launch of GSLVMkIII, carrying Chandrayaan-2 from his office in New Delhi on Monday - ANI)
Last week, the launch had to be put on hold for technical reasons. Then, you and your team carefully found out the reason for the technical fault and took the necessary steps to solve it. Now, in just a week, you have achieved success in the launch. For this, all of you deserve special congratulations. This shows that our scientists have the talent, determination, and self-belief to handle all challenges. The bigger the challenge, the bigger your determination...
What World Media Has To Say On India’s Pride
The New York Times
The 142-feet-tall rocket rose on a funnel of fire, ripping through the air perfectly straight and surprisingly fast, before vanishing into a thick bank of clouds, heading for the south pole of the moon.
BBC
Chandrayaan-2 is the most complex mission ever attempted by the Indian Space Research Organisation...There was applause in the ISRO control room minutes after the launch, as the rocket took off towards the outer atmosphere.
The Guardian
At the forefront...are two women. Its project director, Muthayya Vanitha was named by the science journal Nature as one of five scientists to watch in 2019. It is being navigated by Ritu Karidhal, who helped to lead India’s Mars mission in 2014.
Congress craves for credit on Twitter, gets brickbats
At a time when India united in celebrating Chandrayaan 2 mission, Congress took to Twitter and joined in to congratulate the scientific acumen and determination of scientists at the ISRO. All was well till the party, in a follow-up tweet, sought to highlight how ISRO had been established by Jawaharlal Nehru and that Chandrayaan 2 mission had been sanctioned during UPA government’s second tenure.The backlash was scathing. Twitter unleashed all its fury against the party after it began giving lessons in history at a time when India is taking a mammoth step into future of space exploration.
Zee Media Newsroom
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