New Book on Indian Space Programme Attracts Visitors to Space Museum

Quick Summary

• new Exhibit: A unique large-format book titled Pedalling to Galactic Heights – An ISRO Story has been added to the Space Museum at Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) in Thumba, Kerala.
• size and Display: The book spans 3 ft by 2 ft and is housed outdoors under a tree in the Rocket Garden near the historic St. Mary Magdalene Church, now functioning as the Space Museum.Pages are protected with polythene sheets.
• Content: It covers key milestones of ISRO’s journey, including profiles of its leaders like Vikram Sarabhai, details about launch vehicles (SLV-3, PSLV), early satellites (Aryabhatta, Bhaskara), innovative missions like Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan, as well as future projects such as Gaganyaan and India’s Space Vision 2047.
• Objective: VSSC Director A. Rajarajan emphasized that the initiative aims to spark scientific curiosity among children via visual impact and storytelling innovation.
• Creators: Research team led by Venkatesh S.S., Navya K.R., Amlan Datta; design team included Harikrishnan R., Lekshmy Preeti Money among others.

Indian Opinion Analysis

While traditional books have long documented India’s substantial strides in space research, this oversized “Big Book” represents a novel pedagogical approach-merging interactive art with science communication. By situating it outdoors amid past landmarks of India’s space journey at Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), it serves not just as an archive but also an engaging tool for inspiring young minds toward scientific exploration.

The choice to adapt content visually aligns with contemporary trends requiring impactful means to engage audiences. Highlighting landmark achievements such as Aryabhatta’s launch or Chandrayaan missions alongside ambitious projections for India’s space program till 2047 underscores pivotal moments while maintaining focus on ongoing progress.

Additionally, intertwining history-rich narratives like TERLS’ dedication under U.N.’s aegis reinforces India’s global collaborative efforts from inception up until now-a subtle reminder of consistency within ISRO’s evolving vision. If sustained effectively through outreach measures targeting schools or public tours in similar settings across India, initiatives like this could deepen societal interest in STEM fields nationwide.

For further reading about this initiative:
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