India, Oct. 13 -- Although Bengaluru has been the official HQ of India's space program since the early 1970s, very few Bangaloreans are aware that this month marks the 70th anniversary of a watershed global space event, commemorated annually since 1999 as Day 1 of World Space Week. Which makes this as good a time as any to look back at the history of space exploration in India.

On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, into low earth orbit, bringing to life an idea that had hitherto inhabited only the realms of sci-fi fantasy - human space exploration. The launch caught everyone by surprise. Although both the United States and the USSR had begun rocket research programs based on the ...