What it shows
India’s space journey took place in steps, from a first satellite in 1975 to Moon and Mars missions and crewed spaceflight plans. A scaled timeline shows how fast the steps came and what each learnt.
The science
Space missions build on each other. A launch vehicle must lift satellites, satellites must survive in space, and probes must travel for months. Showing the missions on one line makes it easier to see how each success supported the next goal.
Materials
Cost: under Rs 50. Many items come from home or from waste; spare parts such as LEDs, motors and wire are in the store.
- A long strip of chart paper or an old newspaper roll, 2 m
- Coloured markers and a ruler
- Small model pictures drawn on cards or cut from old magazines
- Glue and string for hanging
- Books or the official ISRO site to check dates
- Scrap card for rocket cutouts
Safety
For this project: Use scissors carefully; an adult should help young children cut card.
Never use mains electricity: power models with cells, batteries or a low-voltage adapter. Sharp and hot tools, flames and lab chemicals need an adult or your teacher beside you. Keep magnets, button cells and small parts away from young children, and wash your hands after making.
Step by step
8 steps. Do them in order, and test each part before you go on to the next. Write what you notice in a notebook as you go.
List at least eight missions from reliable sources: Aryabhata, Bhaskara, Rohini, INSAT, Chandrayaan-1, Mangalyaan, Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1.
Write the year and what each mission achieved in one short line.
Draw a timeline with 1 cm per year on the long strip and mark every five years.
Place each mission above the line at its correct year.
Draw or paste a small picture for each mission, such as a satellite or a lander.
Colour code the missions: satellites for communication, Earth observation, Moon, Mars and Sun.
Add the planned crewed mission as a dotted section and describe what must be ready first.
Present the timeline in two minutes, speaking about what each step taught.
What you should see
A neat timeline strip with at least eight missions in the right order, colour-coded by purpose, which a visitor can read in a minute.
Viva questions
A teacher or a judge will ask how it works. Try to answer each question before you open it, then compare.
01What was India’s first satellite?
Aryabhata, launched in 1975.
02Which mission put an Indian probe in orbit around Mars?
Mangalyaan, the Mars Orbiter Mission, in 2014.
03Why do we use satellites?
For communication, weather, mapping and navigation.
04Why is a launch vehicle needed?
It lifts a satellite above the air and gives it orbital speed.
Take it further
Add a second line for another country’s missions and compare the pace of development.
Change one thing, measure what happens, and add a table or chart of your readings: that is what turns a model into your own investigation.
Free ebooks for this project
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