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Gurbir Singh
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The Indian Space Programme: India's incredible journey from the Third World towards the First. Kindle Edition

by Gurbir Singh (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 17 ratings
Fifty years in the making, India’s Space Programme is fulfilling the vision of its founders and delivering services from space that touch the lives of 1.3 billion people every day. In addition to operating a collection of satellites for weather, Earth observation, navigation and communication, today has a spacecraft orbiting Mars and a space telescope orbiting the Earth.
This book provides the big picture of India’s long association with science, from historical figures like Aryabhata and Bhaskara to Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai, the key architects of its space program. It covers the scientific contribution of Indian scientist during the European enlightenment and industrial revolution through the work of physicist S.N Bose, experimentalist J.C. Bose, mathematician S. Ramanujan and Nobel Laureate C.V. Raman and othjers. It traces the technological development of Tipu Sultan’s use of rockets for war in the 1780s; the all but forgotten contribution of Stephen H Smith’s use of rockets as a means of transport in 1935 in northern India and the emergence of Sriharikota – India’s spaceport.
Key questions about the Indian Space Research Organisation covered in the book, include; a detailed account on why a fishing village in Kerala was used to launch India’s first rocket into space on 21 November 1963, what types of launchers India has developed? How are the ordinary people of India benefit from the space programme? How India got to the Moon and Mars? What are the prospects for India’s ambitions in space for human spaceflight, military and science? In space will India compete or collaborate with China, USA and Russia?
This detailed work in 645 pages, 29 tables and 9 appendices is richly illustrated with 140+ illustrations (some images published for the first time) and supported by over 1000 references. It is written for the non-specialist offering a big picture view of India’s space program – its history, current status and future ambitions, all in one place.
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  1. Print length
    878 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
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  4. Publication date
    4 Oct. 2017
  5. File size
    11.2 MB
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B075WG2N8D
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Astrotalkuk Publications
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 4 Oct. 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 11.2 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 878 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0956933751
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 17 ratings

About the author

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Gurbir Singh

Gurbir Singh

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Gurbir Singh is a UK-based non-fiction writer specialising in space. He studied science and computing and holds a science and an arts degree. Once keen on aviation, he has a private pilot’s licence for the UK, USA and Australia. He was one of 13,000 unsuccessful applicants responding to the 1989 advert “Astronaut wanted. No experience necessary” to become the first British astronaut. Helen Sharman was eventually selected and flew on the Soviet space station Mir in 1991.

He has written articles for The Space Review, Go Taikonauts!, Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Spaceflight and has been interviewed for BBC Manchester, Deutsche Welle and the BBC World Service. In late 2018, he stopped working full time as Cyber Security Consultant to spend more time on his writing. He is also the publisher of www.astrotalkuk.org, a not-for-profit astronomy podcast established in 2008.

In 2011, he published his first book, Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester. The book traces the visit of the world’s first spaceman’s 5-days in England with first-hand accounts from the people who saw and met him. His second book, The Indian Space Programme published in October 2017, is a detailed account of the origin of India’s space programme, its achievements and future ambitions. The third book, India’s Forgotten Rocket Pioneer, is a biographic account of the life and work of Stephen H Smith who experimented with rockets between the 1930s and 1940 in Calcutta, India. In 2022, he helped to publish the memoirs of Leslie Johnson. He served as the Hon Secretary of the British Interplanetary Society when it was founded in Liverpool in 1933. In 2022 he acquired his amateur radio operator's licence - M0KSN.

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4.5 out of 5 stars
17 global ratings

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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • MR R G EVANS
    5.0 out of 5 stars Heartily recommended!!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 December 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This was a snap purchase but one I have very much enjoyed. Its not the sort of tome you can read in a couple of days but is non the worse for it. I am by no means an expert, more an enthusiastic amateur but found so much to enjoy as a lover of facts too. Positivity brims from this book, stemming from India's incredible journey starting from nothing in 1963 to todays lofty heights (no pun intended). What are the possibilities for other nations that embark on a similar journey? This was just one of many questions that occurred to me before I was even half way through The Indian Space Programme. Heartily recommended!!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Mr John G Parry
    5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive Guide to India's space programme
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 June 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This book is a highly detailed review of the development of India's Space Programme and of the personalities involved. It is useful in putting today's goals in a historical context and will undoubtedly be a text that I will return to again and again as India's space programme evolves. I cannot praise the author's research for the book enough, it is a book that takes time to read, but is highly rewarding for all the insights that the author brings to a much neglected subject.
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  • T Murphy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable story and a great read.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 January 2019
    This book is a great read for many reasons. It tells the remarkable story of the Indian Space Programme in a very interesting, rich and people centric way. We learn of the many strands of influence that contributed both directly and indirectly to the foundations of the space programme. Indirect influences such as the American War of Independence, to the changing imperial interests of Britain and France to the more direct influences such as the growth of Indian Scientific Institutions and the several fathers of modern rocketry. The author moves fluidly from social and historical influences to political drivers, Nehru's drive to bring India into the age of technology, to India's launch vehicles, payloads, satellites, India's manned spaceflight efforts and aspirations, defence and finally to what the future may hold for India's space programme. Throughout this story, the author explains clearly the technologies involved but never lets the technology take over. He always brings us back to the driving personalities involved along the way and gives enough pertinent biographical detail to interest us in the human being, but never too much to slow the down the narration. The writing style is very clear and straight forward and as a reader, I never felt burdened by the remarkable amount of information being presented. There are very extensive Appendices and a detailed Index. The Indian Space Programme, deserves a very broad readership. It will appeal not only to those interested in space technology and space programmes, but to those interested in the social, cultural and historical factors that enabled and underpinned the birth and development of the Indian Space Programme. The final comment I would make is that I feel the book also has a general educational value, because of the deft and highly engaging way it brings together and brings to life, technology, the history of science, general history, politics and more, in telling its story. I highly recommend this book.
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  • Suzy H.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Book nicked by husband
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 January 2019
    I bought this book for myself but haven't been able to prise it off my husband yet! He isn't a big reader so that must mean it is good.
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  • Nascot
    5.0 out of 5 stars The most comprehensive book on the Indian space sector you will find
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 January 2019
    If you ever wanted to have the most comprehensive review of the Indian space programme, then this book is what you are after. Clearly the author has done his research as the attention to detail flows through from start to finish. Statistics and data tables support the text giving further confidence this author knows his subject and if you wished to follow up the references, all the detail of the sources and credits are there too.
    If like me you were pretty unsighted on the space programme in India, this will satiate your interest. Likewise it’s detailed enough for the expert too.
    What a wonderful book. These don’t come along very often, so if you are a space or astronomy enthusiast this is s must in your bookshelf.
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  • Mike Little
    5.0 out of 5 stars I've enjoyed what I've read so far
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 December 2017
    This is a fascinating book. From the early history of rocketry (who knew it started so early?); through experimenting with using rockets to deliver the post; through to the more modern day events.
    I'm not all the way through yet, as this is a big book packed with the most incredible amount of detail. I've enjoyed what I've read so far.

    Recommended to anyone with an interest in the history of space flight.
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  • Neil Jaworski
    5.0 out of 5 stars A skilful, definitive and very readable account.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 February 2018
    I came to this via the author's excellent book on Gagarin and was pleased to find that it's another fascinating & incredibly readable account of The Space Race. Whilst the length (440 pages, sans appendices) might seem daunting, it's the definitive account of fifty years of troubled, triumphant & passionate endeavour told by those involved in India's space programme. The book moves through a kaleidoscope of fascinating stories with great speed & skill. I was also grateful that the book eased me in with a cleverly constructed history of national rocket systems which seemed to help strike the right balance between the interested General Reader (me!) & someone with knowledge of the subject (not me). Excellent.
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  • Javaid Qureshi
    5.0 out of 5 stars It can be thought off as several books in one
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 June 2018
    I, too, have enjoyed what i read so far.

    I became aware of this book by being told of its manchester launch a few months ago. The question of whether to go or not, was decided when i read the first chapter through Amazons “look inside” feature. There was also the fact the India had a moon orbiter, has currently a mars orbiter and there is a moon lander imminent.

    So far I have read the first three chapters which deal with the history of science in India prior to the start of the space programme. He brings to life the mathematical and astronomical world from 400AD to the end of the colonial period. As a previous reviewer has said positivity brims from this book, of the type that is anchored in reality and makes for a fascinating read.

    Amongst the many, many gems are Jagadish Chandra Bose demonstrating ‘communication at a distance’ at Kolkota town hall.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Pat
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good going!
    Reviewed in the United States on 9 May 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Lengthy, but comprehensive. I knew some of the NASA folks who
    went to India on joint programs. Fascinating story about how the
    technology was purchased and develop-in house. Now, they sent
    a spacecraft to Mars, and well as 100 cubesats to orbit on one
    launch.
    Good going!
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  • Sailendra
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very nice
    Reviewed in India on 4 August 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Liked it
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