What does it take to fall in love with space? Sometimes, just a photograph, of a rocket slicing through a heart-shaped cloud, can do the job,” says Umesh Kumar Rustagi, director of the Nehru Science Centre.
Yuri Gagarin
To mark the 65th anniversary of the first human spaceflight, the Nehru Science Centre is hosting a week-long exhibition titled Gagarin to Gaganyaan, in collaboration with the Consulate General of Russia and Russian House.
Space in reflection. Launch of the Proton-M launch vehicle carrying the Yamal-601 satellite, 2019
The exhibition pays tribute to Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who became the first human in space on April 12, 1961, after completing an 108-minute orbital flight aboard Vostok 1. The then 27-year-old pilot launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, completed one orbit of the Earth, and safely parachuted back to the ground.
Passionate about space
Nearly 40 photographs are on display, documenting rocket launches, space missions, and the rigorous training of cosmonauts. “This exhibition is essentially a collection of photographs related to the Russian space programme, beginning with Yuri Gagarin,” reiterates Rustagi. “We have also included training photographs of cosmonauts so that people can understand the extensive preparation required for space travel.”
In the centrifuge. A cosmonaut prepares for training on the TsF-7 centrifuge at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre
Explaining the idea behind the exhibition Rustagi emphasises, “That the aim is not only to inform but also to engage visitors emotionally. “There are some beautiful pictures here, from a photographic point of view that can make people fall in love with space.”
Umesh Kumar Rustagi
The exhibition also connects Russia’s space journey with India’s, referencing milestones such as the launch of India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, on 19 April 1975, using a Kosmos-3M launch vehicle from the Kapustin Yar cosmodrome in Russia. “India and Russia have collaborated extensively in space programmes,” Rustagi informs us, adding that such partnerships were crucial to India’s early advancements.
Final integration. Technicians prepare the payload stack for mating with the core stages
“A documentary titled To Be a Cosmonaut is also being screened, offering a detailed look at the training process from day one and highlighting the discipline and endurance required to qualify for space missions,” concludes Rustagi.
Through the snow to orbit. Winter launch of the Progress MS-09 spacecraft, 2018
TILL April 19; 10 am to 6 pm
AT Nehru Science Centre (NSC), Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli.
CALL 24900518
ENTRY NSC ticket prices apply
