ISRO YUVIKA 2019 Students Witness Live Rocket Launch: What is a Sounding Rocket?

ISRO YUVIKA 2019, the Indian Space Research Organisation’s outreacj program for young students, is being carried out, and the participants of the Young Scientist Programme were fortunate to witness the launch of a ‘Sounding Rocket’ as part of the initiative. The participants also got to interact with ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan during the YUVIKA Samwad 2019.

This unique initiative has brought together 110 students, which includes three participants from each State and Union Territory. The eager participants asked questions pertaining to global space scenario and ISRO’s current as well as future space programs. “If you have the ability to ask meaningful questions as well as to ability to provide logical solutions then all of you can become successful scientists and engineers,” said Dr K Sivan to the students.

However, the exciting part is that the ISRO YUVIKA participants had an opportunity to witness the launch of a sounding rocket to get the feel of spaceport operations. Furthermore, in the days to come, the schedule will include invited talks, experience sharing by the eminent scientists, facility and lab visits, exclusive sessions for discussions with experts, practical and feedback sessions.

What is a Sounding Rocket?

Sounding rocket, is a sort of research rocket, which is used in the context of ‘taking measurements’. The rocket carries instruments and has been designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. They are generally one or two stage solid propellant rockets.

The benefits of a sounding rocket are that they are easily affordable platforms to test or prove prototypes of new components or subsystems intended for use in launch vehicles and satellites, says ISRO on its website. Sounding rockets also have a short lead time and also have the ability to conduct research in areas inaccessible to balloons or satellites.

The Indian Space Programme began with the launch of the first sounding rocket from Thumba near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on 21 November 1963. ISRO’s indigenously made sounding rockets are being launched since 1965 and in 1975, all sounding rocket activities were consolidated under the Rohini Sounding Rocket (RSR) Programme.