In 1975,
ISRO became a government body. He came in contact with TN Seshan, the then Joint Secretary
in the Department of Space (DOS). Till then, he had a latent reservation about
bureaucrats. Hence, Kalam was initially not very comfortable to see Seshan participating
in a SLV-3 management board meetings. First three years of the SLV project was the period
of revelation of many fascinating mysteries of science. Kalam became aware of the
difference between science and technology, between research and development. He says :
"Science is inherently open-ended and exploratory. Development is a closed loop.
Science is a passion, a never-ending voyage in promises and possibilities."
The SLV-3 project had been
formulated in such a fashion that the major technology work centers, at VSSC and
Sriharikota (SHAR) could handle production, rocket motor testing and launch of any large
diameter rocket. Participating with SLV-3 project, they set three milestones for
themselves :
- development and flight qualification of all
subsystems through sounding rockets by 1975;
- sub-orbital flights by 1976 and;
- the final orbital flight in 1978.
Though SLV-3 was not final,
its subsystems were being finished. In June 1974, they used the Centaur Sounding Rocket
Launch to test some critical systems. The test was a complete success. The first orbital
flight by India was scheduled in 1978.
Journey with Von Braun
Kalam was to meet Wernher Von Braun, the man who conceived the lethal V-2 missile and
was involved with rocket program at NASA and later he became the technical director of the
German Missile Laboratory. Kalam was excited to travel with such a man who was a
scientist, a designer, a production engineer, an administrator and a technology manager.
Kalam was to escort him from Madras to Thumba. Braun observed the length to diameter L/D
ratio of the SLV-3 and cautioned Kalam about the aero-elastic problems, which had to be
avoided, during the flight.
| Braun told Kalam, "SLV-3 is a genuine Indian design and you may be having your own troubles, but you should always remember that we don’t just build on successes, we also build on failures." He further said that more hard work was not enough in rocketry, as it was not a sport where mere hard work can fetch honors. Here, one need not have to have a goal but, strategies to achieve it as fast as possible. |
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SLV was now a religion, a
mission and God’s purpose for Kalam, to be on earth. During those days, Kalam played
no badminton in the evenings, nor on weekends or holidays. He had no family, no relations,
nor any friends outside the SLV circle.
Kalam And Kurup :The Saviors
In 1979, a six-member team was preparing the flight version of a complex
second stage control system for static test and evaluation. The team was in count down
mode at T-15 minutes. One of the 12 valves failed to respond during the crucial check out
sequence. Anxiety drove the members of the team to the test site to look into the problem.
Suddenly, the oxidizer tank burst and Red Fuming Nitric Acid (RFNA), oozed out causing
severe acid burns to the team members. Kalam, Kurup, and other scientists rushed to
Trivandrum Medical College Hospital and begged to have their colleagues admitted, as six
beds were not available in the hospital, at that point of time.
Sivaramkrishnan Nair was
one of the injured. The first words he spoke after gaining consciousness were the words to
express regret over the mishap and assured that he would make up for the slippage in
schedules caused by the accident. This event enhanced Kalam’s confidence in his team;
a team that can stand like a rock against all odds.
 
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