The Agni launch had been scheduled for 20 April 1989.That was going to be an unexpected exercise.Unlike space launch vehicles,a missile launch involves wide ranging safety hazards.Two radars,three telementry stations,one telecommand station and four electro optical tracking instruments had been deployed.The telementry station at Car Nicobar(ISTRAC) and the SHAR radars were commissioned to track the vehicle.Dynamics surveillance was employed.
All activities preparatory to the launch went accordingly to schedule.They had decided to move the people living in nearby villages to safety at the time of launch.This attracted media attention and led to much controversy .By the time 20 April 1989 arrived the whole nation was watching them.Foreign pressure was exerted through diplomatic channels to abort the flight trial,bot the central government staved off any distraction to their work.
"Agni on the launch pad,my long-cherished dream"-Kalam.
They were at T-14 seconds when the computer signaled that one of the instruments was functioning erratically.This was immediately rectified.Mean while the down range station asked for a hold.In another few seconds,multiple holds were necessitated.They had to abort the launch.
Kalam went to his team members,who were in a state of shock and sorrow.He shared his SLV-3 experience with them.He said,"I lost my launch vehicle in the sea,but recovered successfully,your missile is in still in front of you.In fact you have lost nothing that a few weeks of work will not correct".This shook them out of their immobility and the entire team went back to retrieve the subsystems and recharge them.
The press was up in arms,and fielded various interpretations of the postponement of the flight.Cartoonist Sudhir Dar sketched a shopkeeper returning a product to a salesman saying that like Agni it would not take off.Another cartoonist showed one Agni scientist explaining that the launch was postponed because the press button did not make contact.The Hindustan Times showed a leader consoling press reporter's.There's no need for any alarm ..... It's purely peaceful,non violent missile.
Many a slip between the cup and the lip... .
After detailed analysis conducted virtually around the clock for the next ten days,their scientists had missile ready for launch on 1 May 1989.But,again,during the automatic computer checkout period at T-10 seconds,a hold signal was indicated.The launch had to be postponed yet again.
The Hindu carried a cartoon by Keshav showing a villager counting some currency notes commenting to another."Yes it's the compensation for moving away from my hut near the test site a few more postponements and I can build a house of my own ....".Another cartoonist designated Agni as "IDBM-Intermittently Delayed Ballistie Missile".Amul's cartoon suggested that what Agni needed to do was use their butter as fuel.
One of the cartoons in the media after the failure of the first two Agni launches.
Kalam spoke to the DRDL-RCI community "Very rarely is a laboratory or an R&D establishment given an opportunity to be the first in the country to develop system such as Agni.A great opportunity has been given to us.Naturally major opportunities are accompanied by equally major challenges.We should not give up.We should not allow the problem to defeat us.The country does not deserve anything less than success from us.Let us aim for success".He had almost completed his address when he found himself telling his people,"I promise you,we will be after successfully launching Agni before the end of this month".It was nothing short of amazing how hundreds of scientists and staff worked continuously and completed the system readiness,with acceptance tests ,in just 10 days.But it was the turn of the hostile weather conditions to create impediments.A cyclone threat was looming large.All the work centers were connected through satellite communication.Meteorological data became intermittent and started flowing in a ten minute intervals.Finally,the launch was scheduled for 22 May 1989.The night before,Dr.Arunachalam Gen K.N.Singh and Kalam went walking with Defence Minister KC Pant,who had come to ITR to witness the launch.It was a fully moon night and the night and the high tide caused the waves to crash and roar.The next day Agni took off elegantly it was a perfect launch.
Being carried by a jubilant crowd after the successful launch of Agni.
All activities preparatory to the launch went accordingly to schedule.They had decided to move the people living in nearby villages to safety at the time of launch.This attracted media attention and led to much controversy .By the time 20 April 1989 arrived the whole nation was watching them.Foreign pressure was exerted through diplomatic channels to abort the flight trial,bot the central government staved off any distraction to their work.
They were at T-14 seconds when the computer signaled that one of the instruments was functioning erratically.This was immediately rectified.Mean while the down range station asked for a hold.In another few seconds,multiple holds were necessitated.They had to abort the launch.
Kalam went to his team members,who were in a state of shock and sorrow.He shared his SLV-3 experience with them.He said,"I lost my launch vehicle in the sea,but recovered successfully,your missile is in still in front of you.In fact you have lost nothing that a few weeks of work will not correct".This shook them out of their immobility and the entire team went back to retrieve the subsystems and recharge them.
The press was up in arms,and fielded various interpretations of the postponement of the flight.Cartoonist Sudhir Dar sketched a shopkeeper returning a product to a salesman saying that like Agni it would not take off.Another cartoonist showed one Agni scientist explaining that the launch was postponed because the press button did not make contact.The Hindustan Times showed a leader consoling press reporter's.There's no need for any alarm ..... It's purely peaceful,non violent missile.
Many a slip between the cup and the lip... .
After detailed analysis conducted virtually around the clock for the next ten days,their scientists had missile ready for launch on 1 May 1989.But,again,during the automatic computer checkout period at T-10 seconds,a hold signal was indicated.The launch had to be postponed yet again.
The Hindu carried a cartoon by Keshav showing a villager counting some currency notes commenting to another."Yes it's the compensation for moving away from my hut near the test site a few more postponements and I can build a house of my own ....".Another cartoonist designated Agni as "IDBM-Intermittently Delayed Ballistie Missile".Amul's cartoon suggested that what Agni needed to do was use their butter as fuel.
Kalam spoke to the DRDL-RCI community "Very rarely is a laboratory or an R&D establishment given an opportunity to be the first in the country to develop system such as Agni.A great opportunity has been given to us.Naturally major opportunities are accompanied by equally major challenges.We should not give up.We should not allow the problem to defeat us.The country does not deserve anything less than success from us.Let us aim for success".He had almost completed his address when he found himself telling his people,"I promise you,we will be after successfully launching Agni before the end of this month".It was nothing short of amazing how hundreds of scientists and staff worked continuously and completed the system readiness,with acceptance tests ,in just 10 days.But it was the turn of the hostile weather conditions to create impediments.A cyclone threat was looming large.All the work centers were connected through satellite communication.Meteorological data became intermittent and started flowing in a ten minute intervals.Finally,the launch was scheduled for 22 May 1989.The night before,Dr.Arunachalam Gen K.N.Singh and Kalam went walking with Defence Minister KC Pant,who had come to ITR to witness the launch.It was a fully moon night and the night and the high tide caused the waves to crash and roar.The next day Agni took off elegantly it was a perfect launch.
Being carried by a jubilant crowd after the successful launch of Agni.
