Wednesday 14 March 2007

Moving Towers

March 14th

Today, with Physics department sponsorship, we the Physics Department students went to SriHariKota Satellite Launch Centre. They call it SHAR, an abbreviation of Sriharikota Range but I cannot understand how they got SHAR from Sriharikota Range. Its very hard to describe what I saw there, as it's nearly impossible to believe what I saw.

We left institute around 6 in the morning and reached there at 9. For the first time in institute, I got up as early as 4:45, but I felt it was worth it. The breakfast was nice , a thousand times better the the same old mess food. We were then taken to 2nd Satellite launch pad where a PSLV satellite is being integrated now. It was awesome.
The facility they had is an eighty meter tall building with a door nearly as tall. It can hold a PSLV, which is about 60 meters tall inside it. I personally felt PSLV is too thin, just 2.8 meters in diameter which is the size of a normal room. Its extremely difficult to believe, that they can actually transfer such a huge Rocket for 1 km on rails by just hinging them at the bottom using a just a single Bhogi.

The 1st launch pad was much more amazing. Its a 4000 ton metallic structure in which a satellite can be integrated. The plus point is that this structure can be moved on rails as if it is a car. We then went to the Launch Pad where just 4 weeks back the temperature was 3000k, during the last launch.
We also saw the control Station from which all the great satellites of INDIA have been launched. I really felt that our country is advancing at its best ability in this field.

Be proud to be an INDIAN !!!!