It was September 24, 2014. Glued to the TV, I was spellbound by what I was watching. I witnessed a historical moment. Never before had any country achieved what India achieved on that day. On its very first attempt, India’s spacecraft, the Mangalyaan, reached Mars orbit.
Even before this, India achieved a milestone by orbiting the moon. The Chandrayaan-1 mission detected water on the moon’s surface, a discovery that one day could help settlers to survive on the moon.
Chandrayaan-1’s success bolstered Indian space scientists, and two more missions were launched. The latest in the series, Chandrayaan-3, was a resounding success. With the Chandrayaan-3 mission, India became the first country in the world to land a spacecraft near the Moon’s south pole.
On August 23, 2023, the Vikram lander made a soft landing, making India only the fourth country in the world to put a spacecraft on the lunar surface. The icing on the cake came with the launch of the Pragyaan rover from the lander.
National Space Day
Acknowledging this remarkable feat achieved by India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared August 23 as the National Space Day. The day honours the achievements of the Indian space programme, spearheaded by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
From developing rockets from scratch to launching multiple satellites from a single rocket, ISRO achieved many records. With the participation of the Indian private sector in the satellite launch domain, ISRO is now gearing itself to explore space through cutting-edge science.
Readying the Young Ones
To pursue scientific explorations in space, the organisation needs brilliant scientists. At Redfields School, we are readying youngsters who can take the mantle and become the nation’s scientific superheroes.
At our school, we prod our students to expand their minds, be curious, and learn beyond academic books. Our ever-guiding teachers enable the students to explore themselves and choose career paths beyond traditional ones. With our programme of compulsory Olympiad exams right from first class, we expose children to the competitiveness of the real world and help them grow their knowledge beyond academics.
Redfields School is where a child grows into a mature individual with skills that are not traditionally taught in a school setting!