Hyderabad, April 19 -- On April 19, 1975, the tiny and rudimentary satellite Aryabhata, built indigenously by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was successfully launched into space.

The satellite, named after Aryabhata (476-550 AD), the ancient Indian astronomer and mathematician, weighed just 360 kg. It piggybacked on the giant InterKosmos-3M rocket of the Soviet Union from the Kapustin Yar launch facility near Volgograd. With it soared the expectations of a billion people.

The overall project objectives, however, were only partly achieved. A week after the satellite entered its destined orbit, Aryabhata was hit by a power failure. Communications with the satellite were lost, and the scientific objectives of conducting X-r...