DIL SE
Awestruck at space centre
P.V.N.Sireesha
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The visit to SHAR was an education. A peep into the wonder world, and we understood how advanced India is in space technology
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HUMBLING: The roar, the furore, the sight of a launch is breathtaking
ANDHRA LOYOLA COLLEGE: Graduation is just not enough these days. A student cannot afford to be in a cocoon. He must have some idea as to how the rest of the world lives. It is a pre-requisite for a successful life and career. With this view, our electronics department conducted an educational tour recently to "Satish Dhawan Space Centre" (SHAR), located at Sriharikota and to Nippo batteries industry at Tada. There were 56 students of the 2nd B.Sc electronics course in addition to the teaching staff.
Landmark
We were eager to see this landmark space research organisation. The drive towards the east on the road laid across the Pulicat Lake was most enjoyable. That day, we were the first visitors in SHAR Centre. The ambience was splendid. We first visited the auditorium and watched a documentary show on SHAR Centre activities. There we came to know that the satellite launch station is a good corridor for various missions.
Advantage of earth's rotation for eastward launchings, nearness to the equator, and availability of large uninhabited area as safety zone - all make Sri Harikota Range, popularly known as `SHAR', an ideal spaceport.
Another important observation was that SHAR has been renamed as `Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR' on September 5, 2002, in memory of Satish Dhawan, former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation.
After that, students clarified their doubts in an interaction with the scientists. We visited the launch complexes. The launch complexes provide complete support for vehicle assembly, fuelling, checkout and launch operations. Apart from these, the centre has facilities for launching sounding rockets meant for studying the earth's atmosphere.
The mobile service tower, launch pad, preparation facilities for different stages of rocket and spacecraft, storage, transfer and servicing facilities for liquid propellants etc., are the important installations.
Checking poles!
Then we went to another important centre known as mission control centre (MCC), which is about 6 km away from the launch complex. The scenic beauty was mesmerising. The electric poles on the side of the road were very old. It was a rare model. We don't find them anymore.
The centre co-ordinates and conducts the launch operations during the count down phase till the injection of the satellite into orbit. Vehicle position information is instantly completed from the tracking data and is used for evaluating the performance of the vehicle.
We went to the launch pad. On the way, we were thrilled at the automatic opening and closing of the entrance gates as the vehicles passed. Being students of electronics, we tried to guess the techniques used for those gates.
Soon, we reached the launch pad. To have quick turn-around time, an additional launch pad is constructed. It is designed to accommodate both the present PSLVs and GSLVs and also the future launch vehicle configuration such as GSLV-MKII.
We really bow before the scientists of ISRO. The technology they have developed is breathtaking.
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