For those who are curious to know about rockets and satellites, there is a chance now, right here in Madurai itself.
The stall of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at the ‘SVN Winter Festive’ exhibition under way in Tamukkam Ground will take you into the space as the displays of rocket models and launch vehicles are turning out to be a huge hit drawing a good crowd of parents and children. From information about the architect of country’s space programme Vikram Sarabhai to the latest Chandrayaan mission, everything is there at the ISRO pavilion. A team of officials from the ISRO’S Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre at Mahendragiri were busy explaining to children about the accomplishments of India in space on Thursday evening.
“Since our stall is right at the entrance of this exhibition, the turnout of visitors is very good. Students will come to know about what ISRO has achieved,” says M. Govindarajan, Scientist-Engineer, Mahendragiri Centre. The scaled models of various types of rockets launched by India so far and the satellites put into orbit are on display. There are models of communication satellites, remote sensing satellites and a model of Edusat.
“We have brought models of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicles. Our stall has everything, starting from India’s first satellite Aryabhatta which was launched in 1975 till GSLV Mk111, now in development stage,” he said.
Nearly 50 models and exhibits with posters on information about each space mission have been put up at the exhibition which concludes on January 2. School students can get to know how a satellite functions, Oceansat, INSAT 3-C and rocket model LVM-3. Videos on space scientists and India’s ‘space yatra’ are shown.
Posters on Indian space programmes, space centres in the country and the famous Chandrayan-I mission are also on display. Entrance ticket for students is Rs.10 and they have to show the school identity card.
