That was a Dream Half Come True

It was 4pm in the evening and the auditorium at ISRO was gradually getting flooded with a swarm of ISRO employees and staff. It was the launch of the GSAT 4 using the GSLV D3. It was a proud moment indeed. To be a part of ISRO in itself is an honor, though it is only for a short period of 2 months. And this was truly an awesome experience, the launch. I had never really bothered to know the specifics of a satellite launch. This time it was different,being a part of the organization, it was a necessity and I could make out things a bit better too because I had been neck deep immersed in the ISRO library since the past one week.

So there we were at the auditorium. I had goosebumps as soon as I entered the auditorium. It was the feel, the aura, the setting, or I do not exactly know what, but I was enthralled by it all. Soon after we got settled, the commentary commenced and then we were introduced to all those scientists who had worked day in and day out to make this day a reality. The Chairman too addressed us along with the rest of the team. All this while, the countdown was progressing in the background and by the time we were five minutes away from the launch, the description of the satellite and launch vehicle and the assembly had been done. It all looked so much out of this world, numerous antsized people assembling a humongous structure as that. Now the time seemed to move really fast and the heartbeats paced up. It was very evident from every single face there that they too were feeling the same. They were probably feeling it even more strongly because most of them had in some or the other way contributed to the D-day.

Once the countdown reached 10 seconds, there was pin drop silence out there, the rocket gradually broke its shackles and took off on its flight. The excitement was so high that I could not even make out time fly. Soon the rocket successfully completed its first stage and there was loud applause everywhere. The distances seemed to thin down, ISRO employees across the nation experienced those moments as if there was only a few millimetre of thin air between them. That was an awesome experience, throughout the whole process I felt more and more proud to be a part of ISRO. Then the rocket moved into its second stage, it was very much and accurately following its proposed trajectory. We kept following every single word that was being uttered by the commentators, the range, the altitude, the angle of inclination and took care not to miss the count of time that the rocket had already spent up there.

All was fine and well until all of a sudden the rocket stopped responding. The signals were absconding, but nobody lost hope. Every single soul there held on with faith, hoping that it would be back under control. For a moment all that kept ringing in my head were the words of the Chairman that India would be a self reliant nation in the field of space once this flight  proved successful. Probably that was what passed through every single mind there. This was the first time we tried our indigenous cryogenic engine. The satellite also carried the Ka band transponders that ISRO would soon be venturing into.

 Every single person there refused to leave the auditorium hoping that the rocket will be restored to its normalcy soon. The agony in the eyes of those master craftsmen who had sweated it out to make this day possible was very evident. The wait was long and every single soul there was praying hard to harness success once again. But nothing seemed to be working. I kept my fingers crossed all the while and I really wished that I could be part of a successful launch, but then the experience was awesome and me, completely spellbound throughout. If it had launched successfully I would probably have had the most extraordinary experience of my life. Anyways it was only an experimental flight and our scientists there, I am sure are a determined lot. If not today, some other day, but India will become a self reliant space programmer in the near future. Kudos to our scientists and their craftsmen who work for the country so tirelessly and never lose heart, come what may, and hoping sincerely that they harness success next time with not even a shadow of failure looming anywhere in the vicinity.