India’s first Rocket launch ‘Diamond Jubilee’ providentially coincides with Chandrayaan: Dr Jitendra

STATE TIMES NEWS

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The “Diamond Jubilee’ of India’s first sounding rocket launch from Thumba in Kerala providentially coincides with the year 2023 which saw the historic twin feats of Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 missions, said the Union Minister of State for Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh on Saturday.
Dr Jitendra addressing the Commemoration of the 60th year of the First Sounding Rocket Launch at a function at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launch Station (TERLS).
Dr Singh witnessed the ceremonial launch of a similar Sounding Rocket undertaken from the Space pod where the original launch took place on November 21, 1963.
In a symbolic gesture, the countdown was being announced by Pramod P. Kale, who read out the countdown way back on the first launch 60 years ago.
Later, addressing the media, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the success of Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 missions reiterates India’s indigenous capabilities and vindicates the dream that Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the first Chairman of ISRO and the founding father of India’s Space Programme, saw six decades ago.