Thumba Church and the Space Research Centre

Keeping in view all the positive aspects of the situation, it was decided by the INCOSPAR to set up the Equatorial Rocket Launching Station at Thumba in 1962. Thumba is a village near Trivandrum in Kerala. Dr. Chitnis of the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, elected to choose this place, as it was most suitable for the purpose in all respects, being close to the earth’s magnetic equator. And thus, the foundation of a quiet beginning of Indian rocket technology was laid. In fact, in this particular case, the selection of place was the most important factor. The success of the project was partially dependent on the choice of the right place. The total distance of the site, which lay between the railway line and the sea coast, is about two and a half km. and it covers 600 acres of land. Now the basic problem of locating and finding a suitable place was solved. But the most delicate part of the problem was that there was a large church within that area, the site of which was to be acquired. K. Madhavan Nair, the then Collector of Trivandrum came forward and rendered a helping hand in acquiring the land with the kind blessings of Right Rev. Dr. Dereira, who was the Bishop of Trivandrum in 1962.
As soon as Dr. Kalam had established his laboratory and design and drawing office, he was asked to proceed to America for a six-month training programme on sounding rocket launching techniques, at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) work centres.
Since this opportunity was going to open a whole new vista of challenges and create new avenues for him, he decided to go to Rameswaram before going abroad.
Dr. Kalam’s father, as any father would, became very happy to learn about the opportunity that had come his son’s way. He took Dr. Kalam to the mosque and, in order to communicate to God collectively his thankfulness, he organized a special namaz in thanksgiving. The power and impact of the collective prayer was such that Dr. Kalam could clearly feel the divine power flowing through his father and him, and then returning to God without breaking the cycle of flow of energy. This kind of experience made Dr. Kalam to believe that prayers are helpful in invoking divine power, if made sincerely and with a true heart.
Dr. Kalam remembers the day when Ahmed Jallaluddin and Samsuddin had come to see him off at Bombay airport. They were the persons from whom Dr. Kalam always drew inspirations. This was for the first time that young Dr. Kalam was parting from his near and dear ones and going thousands and thousands of miles away from his country for a long period of six months. He could not check his emotions and tears began straining down his face. At this, Jallaluddin, who used to call him ‘Azad’, consoled him and said with great affection—“Azad, we have always loved you, and we believe in you. We shall always be proud of you.”

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