India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, completes 50 years

India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, completed 50 years on 19th April. Launched on this day in 19th April 1975, the satellite was named after the ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer, Aryabhata.

• Interestingly, it took just 30 minutes after the launch for the first signals to be relayed back to the Indian ground station located in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota, located about 5,000 km away from the Soviet military rocket launch complex.

• The satellite, built by the Indian Space Research Organisation, was launched from Kapustin Yar (Russia) with the assistance of the USSR.

• The purpose of the satellite was defined to explore areas including Solar Physics, Aeronomy, and X-ray Astronomy.

• Aryabhata was designed as a 26-sided polyhedron, measuring 1.4 metres in diameter and weighing 360 kilograms.

• Except for the top and bottom, all the remaining 24 faces of the satelite were covered with solar panels.