1947
Dr. Vikram Sarabhai establishes the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad (Gujrat) to pursue research on cosmic rays. The PRL later becomes the nucleus of India's civilian space program.
—Gopal Raj, "The Sarabhai Vision," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 6-7.

1 January 1958
India's Ministry of Defense (MOD) consolidates all defense-related research and development activities in the country by merging the Indian Army's Technical Development Establishment and the Directorate of Technical Development & Production with the Defense Science Organization into a new organization, Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO). In 1958, DRDO is a small organization with 10 laboratories under its jurisdiction. Major General B.D. Kapur is appointed as its first Chief Controller.
—Defence Research & Development Organization, "DRDO: Genesis & Growth," <http://www.drdo.org>; Major General B.D. Kapur, "The Initiation of Defence Research Organization," Building a Defence Technology Base (New Delhi: Lancer International, 1990), p. 31.

1958
India's Union Cabinet approves the setting up of a missile study group under Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO) to advise the armed forces on guided missiles. Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru instructs the scientific advisor to the Defense Minister Dr. D.S. Kothari to ensure that foreign exchange outflow is kept to a minimum.
—Raj Chengappa, "Build an ICBM or I'll Shut Down the Lab," Weapons of Peace: The Secret Story of India's Quest to be a Nuclear Power (New Delhi: Harper Collins Publishers India, 2000), p. 136.

16 October 1958
Indian Defense Minister V.K. Krishna Menon and his scientific advisor Dr. D.S. Kothari set up a guided missile study team under B.N. Singh at the Defense Science Laboratory (DSL) in New Delhi. The defense ministry sanctions 200,000 rupees to begin work on developing an anti-tank missile. For reasons of secrecy, the missile team is named Special Weapon Development Team (SWDT).
—Raj Chengappa, "Build an ICBM or I'll Shut Down the Lab," Weapons of Peace: The Secret Story of India's Quest to be a Nuclear Power (New Delhi: Harper Collins Publishers India, 2000), pp. 136-137.

1961
The Indian government assigns the subject of space research and the peaceful exploration of outer space to the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
—"Space Research," Atomic Energy and Space Research: A Profile For The Decade 1970-80 (Atomic Energy Commission, 1970), p. 27.

1961
The Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad (Gujrat) becomes an autonomous institution under the Department of Atomic Energy DAE. The DAE routes funds for the space program through PRL until the formation of an independent Department of Space (DOS) in 1972.
—Gopal Raj, "The Sarabhai Vision," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 6-7.

1961
The Defense Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) is formed as an extension of the Special Weapon Development Team (SWDT) on the campus of the Defense Science Laboratory (DSL), New Delhi. Group Captain V. Ganesan is appointed as its director in December 1961. Indian missile scientists are sent to the College of Aeronautics, Cranfield (United Kingdom) to attend a course on guided missiles.
—Defence Research & Development Laboratory, "Historical Background," <http://www.drdo.org/labs/missiles/drdl/index.shtml>; Raj Chengappa, "Build an ICBM or I'll Shut Down the Lab," Weapons of Peace: The Secret Story of India's Quest to be a Nuclear Power (New Delhi: Harper Collins Publishers India, 2000), pp. 137-139.

February 1962
Defense Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) is shifted to Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) to work on the design and development of missiles.
—Defence Research & Development Laboratory, "Historical Background," <http://www.drdo.org/labs/missiles/drdl/index.shtml>.

February 1962
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) creates the Indian National Committee on Space Research (INCOSPAR) under the chairmanship of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai to oversee India's space program.
—Gopal Raj, "The Sarabhai Vision," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), p. 9.

1962
Defense Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) obtains 600,000 rupees to begin work on developing a wire-guided, solid-motor, anti-tank missile. Flight-tests of the 1.6km-range hand-held missile at Imarat Kancha, near Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) are hampered by the lack of adequate monitoring and tracking equipment.
—A. Subhananda Rao, "Development of Solid Propulsion Systems for Guided Missiles," in H. S. Mukunda and A. V. Krishnamurty, eds., Recent Advances in Aerospace Sciences and Engineering (Bangalore: Interline Publishing, 1992), p. 182; Raj Chengappa, "Build an ICBM or I'll Shut Down the Lab," Weapons of Peace: The Secret Story of India's Quest to be a Nuclear Power (New Delhi: Harper Collins Publishers India, 2000), pp. 141-142.

1962
India decides to build a sounding rocket range on the geomagnetic equator at Thumba, near Thiruvanathapuram (Kerela) to study of problems in aeronomy up to 200km. The planned program will be conducted with sounding rockets and the scientific results are expected to have a direct bearing on a better understanding of meteorology. [Note: "Aeronomy" refers to the study of the upper atmosphere, especially of regions of ionized gas.]
—"Space Research," Atomic Energy and Space Research: A Profile For The Decade 1970-80 (Atomic Energy Commission, 1970), p. 27.

1962
The UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space passes a resolution calling for the creation of sounding rocket facilities in the equatorial region and southern hemisphere under UN sponsorship. India takes advantage of the UN resolution to start its own sounding rocket program to study the equatorial electrojet phenomenon. Indian National Committee on Space Research (INCOSPAR) signs an agreement with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for help in assembling and launching sounding rockets. It also seeks NASA's help in training Indian personnel as well as establishing a sounding rocket launch center. Agreements are also signed with the French space agency, CNES, for the supply of radar and sounding rockets. [Note: Sounding rockets are rockets used to make observations anywhere within the earth's atmosphere. Sounding rockets derive their name from the nautical term "to sound," which means to take measurements. These rockets are divided into two parts: rocket motor and payload. Sounding rocket experiments provide information on the chemical composition and physical processes taking place in the atmosphere, natural radiation surrounding the earth, and data on sun, stars, and galaxies and other phenomenon. In addition, sounding rockets provide economic means of conducting engineering tests for instruments and devices used on satellites and other spacecraft prior to their use.]
—Gopal Raj, "The Sarabhai Vision," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 9-10; National Aeronautics and Space Administration, "NASA's Sounding Rocket Program," <http://www.wff.nasa.gov/pages/soundingrockets.html>.

1962
Defense Research & Development Organization's (DRDO) Chief Controller Major General B.D. Kapur tours R&D centers, missile training sites, strategic air command bases, and NASA facilities in the United States. On his return trip to India, Kapur stops in Switzerland to meet representatives of the Zurich-based firm Contraves. India and Switzerland sign an agreement to develop an intermediate-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) under a program called "Project Indigo." However, the Indian government opts for the purchase of Soviet SA-2 SAM batteries and Project Indigo, a program to actually build a missile system, is cancelled.
—Timothy V. McCarthy, "India: Emerging Missile Power," in William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds., The International Missile Bazaar: The New Suppliers' Network, (Boulder: Westview Press Inc., 1994), p. 202.

1962
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) chairman Dr. Homi Bhabha persuades Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to increase funding for Indian National Committee on Space Research (INCOSPAR).
—Raj Chengappa, "The Red Funnel," Weapons of Peace: The Secret Story of India's Quest to be a Nuclear Power (New Delhi: Harper Collins Publishers India, 2000), p. 90.

1962-1963
India sends a small group of scientists to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center on Wallops Island for training in assembling, launching, and tracking sounding rockets. Indian scientists are trained in safety procedures, assembly of scientific payloads, and collection of scientific data radioed from the rockets during flight. The group of scientists includes R. Aravamudan, Pramod Kale, A.S. Prakasa Rao, B. Ramakrishna Rao, H.G.S. Murthy, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and D. Easwardas.
—Gopal Raj, "The Sarabhai Vision," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 14-15.

21 January 1963
Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Lakshmi N. Menon informs parliament that the government has decided to establish a sounding rocket launch station at Thumba (Kerela).
—Gopal Raj, "The Sarabhai Vision," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), p. 12.

21 November 1963
India assembles and launches its first Nike-Apache rocket supplied by NASA. The rocket carries a sodium-vapor experiment provided by the French space agency CNES. American and French technicians oversee the launch. [Note: The Nike-Apache is a small rocket almost identical to the Nike-Cajun, with which it was interchangeable depending on the payload and the altitude desired. The Nike's Apache motor was manufactured by Thiokol Propulsion. The Nike-Apache was one of NASA's most common sounding rockets; it can lift a 45.4kg payload to an altitude of 160km. First test-firing from NASA's Wallops Island facility occurred on 25 May 1961.]
—Gopal Raj, "The Sarabhai Vision," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), p. 16; William R. Corliss, "Appendix A: Short Descriptions of Major Sounding Rockets," NASA Sounding Rockets, 1958-1968: A Historical Summary (Scientific and Technical Information Office, NASA, 1971), p. 82.

1964
India signs an agreement with France to produce the Centaure sounding rocket under license in India. [Note: Centaure is a two-stage sounding rocket. The Centaure uses a 280mm Venus booster to boost a Belier second-stage. It can carry a 60kg payload to a height of 130km.]
—Gopal Raj, "The Sarabhai Vision," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), p. 17; Jonathan McDowell, "CNES Sounding Rockets," The History of Spaceflight, 26 January 2000, <http://hea-www.harvard.edu/QEDT/jcm/space/book/index.html>; "From Belier to Eridan," The Satellite Encyclopedia, <http://www.sat-net.com/>.

1964
Defense Research & Development Laboratory's (DRDL) R. Gopalaswami proposes building a three-ton-thrust liquid-fuel engine at a cost 183,000 thousand rupees. The Indian government sanctions the project. However, in the absence of any user requirements from the armed forces, the project turns into a competence-building exercise.
—Raj Chengappa, "Build an ICBM or I'll Shut Down the Lab," Weapons of Peace: The Secret Story of India's Quest to be a Nuclear Power (New Delhi: Harper Collins Publishers India, 2000), pp. 144-145.

1964-1965
India signs an agreement with Sud Aviation of France to build the French two-stage Centaure rocket in India under license. India simultaneously launches a program to build sounding rockets indigenously; Indian scientists begin experimenting with various solid-propellant combinations and embark on the Rohini (RH) sounding rocket program. They build simple motors, which are 50mm in diameter. The first Indian sounding rocket is named Rohini-00 (RH-00).
—Gopal Raj, "First Steps in Rocketry," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), p. 32.

1965-1969
As part of the contract with France's Sud Aviation to license produce Centaure sounding rockets in India, a small group of Indian scientists headed by M.R. Kurup is sent to France for training. The group is put through some courses in solid-propulsion and given practical training in the fabrication of the Centaure and in casting the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) propellant used in the rocket. Indian scientists are also given a tour of French solid-propellant facilities. Sud Aviation does not provide India with a turnkey facility for manufacturing the rockets. Instead, Indian scientists are given a list of the equipment and manufacturers to help them build the rocket-related facilities in India. The Centaure program helps India gain an understanding of the equipment, procedures, and safety precautions required to build large solid-propellant motors. It also exposes Indian scientists to the use of composite propellants, 15CDV6 steel, and sophisticated fabrication techniques, which are later used to build more advanced two-stage rockets. [Note 1: A solid rocket motor uses solid propellants to provide thrust to propel a vehicle. Although the terms "motor" and "engine" are generally interchangeable, propulsion devices using solid propellants are generally called "motors" and those using liquid propellants tend to referred to as "engines." A typical solid motor is made up of the following components: a motor case containing the propellant grain, a surrounding insulating blanket or propellant liner, an exhaust nozzle, and an ignition system. In operation, solid motors are less complex than liquid-rocket engines. Note 2: Composite and composite modified double-base propellants are heterogeneous mixtures of fuels and small particulate oxidizers held together by a rubbery material referred to as the "binder." They provide a stable, high-performance, solid-propellant for rocket motors. Composite and double-base composite propellants are used to provide propulsive energy to rocket systems, kick motors for satellites, and for booster motors for launching cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles. These propellants are also used in tactical rockets.]
—Gopal Raj, "First Steps in Rocketry," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 37-40; Mark Williamson, Dictionary of Space Technology (New York: Adam Hilger, 1989), p. 284; "Category II-Item 4: Propellants," Missile Technology Control Regime Annex Handbook, p. 4-1.

1965
The Indian government approves the establishment of the Space Science & Technology Centre (SSTC) in Thumba (Kerela) with the objective of building rockets, satellite payloads, as well as their instrumentation in India. The SSTC initially focuses on building sounding rockets and scientific payloads for the rockets. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai launches an aggressive program to recruit Indian scientists for the space program from the United States and Western Europe. Recruits include A.E. Muthunayagam, S.C. Gupta, M.K. Mukherjee, Y.J. Rao, D.S. Rane, M.C. Mathur, and V. Gowariker.
—Gopal Raj, "The Sarabhai Vision," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 17-18, 24-25.

Late 1960s
India decides to develop a family of sounding rockets with diameters ranging from 125mm-560mm with the capability of carrying 10-100kg-payloads to heights ranging from 80-350km.
—R. Nagappa, M.R. Kurup, and A.E. Muthunayagam, "ISRO's Solid Rocket Motors," Acta Astronautica, vol. 19, no. 8, 1989, p. 682.

1967
India obtains SA-2 surface-to-air (SAM) batteries from the Soviet Union. The missiles are deployed around New Delhi and several key airfields in northern India to provide air defense. [Note: The SA-2 is a guided medium- to high-altitude surface-to-air missile (SAM) designed to provide air defense against non-maneuvering targets such as bombers. Development of the SA-2 began in the Soviet Union in 1953 at the Lovochkin OKB design bureau, and the first missile batteries became operational in 1957. The original SA-2a was subsequently superceded in the 1960s and 1970s by the b/c/d/e/f models. The SA-2 is a two-stage missile with a large solid-propellant booster and a storable liquid-fuel sustainer rocket motor that uses red fuming nitric acid/kerosene fuel mix. The missile has a set of four cropped delta-shaped wings towards the midsection, a second set of small fixed fins at the nose, and a third set of slightly larger control fins at the tail. The SA-2a/b/c/d/e/f models vary from 10.6-11.2m in length, have a booster diameter of 0.65m, and launch weight between 2,287-2,450kg. The warhead weighs 195kg, 130kg of which is High Explosive (HE).]
—Raj Chengappa, "Not so Valiant," Weapons of Peace: The Secret Story of India's Quest to be a Nuclear Power (New Delhi: Harper Collins Publishers India, 2000), p. 148; "SA-2 'Guideline' Medium to High Altitude Surface-to-Air Missile System, Tony Cullen and Christopher Foss, eds., Jane's Land Based Air Defence 1992-1993 (Coulsdon, Surrey), pp. 257-260.

20 November 1967
India launches its first sounding rocket, the Rohini-75 (RH-75). The "75" refers to the rocket's diameter in millimeters. The RH-75 has a length and diameter of 1m and 75mm, respectively. It uses Cordite, which is a double-base propellant; the rocket has a total launch weight of 7kg, of which the propellant comprises 2.5kg. The propellant burn time is 2-seconds and the rocket reaches a height of 7km. India's earliest efforts in the development of solid-propulsion technology are overseen by A.E. Muthunayagam. [Note 1: The development of a 75mm diameter rocket was taken up "for initial propulsion technology development demonstration. The diameter was chosen to use off the shelf items to the extent possible and minimize development time. Double-base, free-standing grains of 67mm were already under manufacture in [India].... The propellant grain was charged into the aluminum chamber and bonded in place with a polyester resin system." The RH-75 used a "metallic heat sink design" for the nozzle with "polycrystalline graphite for throat insert." The development of the RH-75 provided Indian rocket scientists and engineers with useful information on "design and performance, propellant charging techniques, test stand design and testing techniques, and flight testing." Note 2: Double-base propellants form a homogenous propellant grain, usually a nitrocellulose type of gunpowder dissolved in a gelatiniser or plasticizer such as nitroglycerin plus minor percentages of additives. Both the ingredients are explosives and function as a combined fuel, oxidizer, and binder.]
—Gopal Raj, "First Steps in Rocketry," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 32-34; George P. Sutton, "Solid Propellants and Combustion," Rocket Propulsion Elements: An Introduction to the Engineering of Rockets (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1986), p. 292; R. Nagappa, M.R. Kurup, and A.E. Muthunayagam, "ISRO's Solid Rocket Motors," Acta Astronautica vol. 19, no. 8, 1989.

1967-1969
Two rival teams of Indian scientists led by V. Gowariker and A.E. Muthunayagam compete to develop solid propellants for the Rohini sounding rocket program. Gowariker's group selects a solid-propellant formulation based on polyester; Muthunayagam's group bases its solid propellant around a natural rubber resin. The first RH-75 with the natural-rubber propellant, named the Dynamic Test Vehicle (DTV), is flight-tested in 1968. Gowariker's team tests its DTV on 21 February 1969. However, neither of these propellants is used in the Rohini program. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) remains the mainstay of India's sounding rocket program until better solid propellants become available.
—Gopal Raj, "First Steps in Rocketry," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 36-37, 39.

1967
India purchases three squadrons of SA-2 surface-to-air (SAM) batteries from the Soviet Union for the air defense of New Delhi.
—Raj Chengappa, "Not So Valiant," Weapons of Peace: The Secret Story of India's Quest to be a Nuclear Power (New Delhi: Harper Collins Publishers India, 2000), p. 148.

2 February 1968
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi dedicates the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) to the United Nations.
—Gopal Raj, "The Sarabhai Vision," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), p. 19.

Early 1968
Dr. Vikram Sarabhai broaches Indian space scientists and engineers on the idea of conducting a feasibility study for developing a satellite launch vehicle (SLV).
—Gopal Raj, "SLV-3: India's First Launch Vehicle," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 46-47.

Early 1968
Indian space officials begin searching for a suitable launch site for larger rockets along India's eastern coast. The Andhra Pradesh state government offers the island of Sriharikota, which is located 80km north of Chennai. Sriharikota is 170 square kilometers in area, has a coastline of 62km, and is 8km at its widest. It is sparsely inhabited by Yanadi tribals.
—Gopal Raj, "SLV-3: India's First Launch Vehicle," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), p. 47.

August 1968
Indian space officials submit a report recommending Sriharikota for a new launch site. The location of the island on India's east coast and its closeness to the equator (Sriharikota is 13° north of the equator) are cited as some of its key advantages. The 1968-69 Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) annual report states: "Due to insufficient space at the Thumba range and due to limitations imposed by range safety conditions, a second rocket launching station is necessary to cope with the increasing rocket launching schedule...a station located on the east coast of India is necessary for facilitating a satellite launch. Sriharikota island situated north of Pulicat (Andhra Pradesh) has been found most suitable for this purpose."
—Gopal Raj, "SLV-3: India's First Launch Vehicle," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 47-48.

30 August 1968
India successfully tests its first indigenous two-stage sounding rocket. The Multi-Stage Rocket Project started by A.E. Muthunayagam in 1968 consists of a modified RH-75 fitted on top of an RH-125. [Note: The RH-125 is a two-stage, solid-motor rocket capable of carrying a 7kg payload to a height of 10km. In contrast to the "double base propellant system used in the RH-75," the RH-125 uses a "PVC-based [polyvinyl chloride] plasticol system...which has higher energetics resulting in higher combustion temperature." Because the "cure temperature" of the PVC plasticol is around 170°C, it is "not amenable for case bonding...and the propellant [is] cast in a PVC restrictor tube." Both the "booster and upper stage motors [are] of the same diameter and separated in flight by atmospheric drag." Important inputs from the RH-125 program included "improvements in propellant formulation and processing, handling and charging of flexible propellant grains, and staging and separation techniques."]
—Gopal Raj, "First Steps in Rocketry," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 36-37, 40; R. Nagappa, M.R. Kurup, and A.E. Muthunayagam, "ISRO's Solid Rocket Motors," Acta Astronautica vol. 19, no. 8, 1989, p. 682.

Late 1960s
India decides to develop a family of sounding rockets "ranging in diameter from 125-560mm...[and] capabilities of taking payloads ranging from 10 to 100kg to heights ranging from 80 to 350km."
—R. Nagappa, M.R. Kurup, and A.E. Muthunayagam, "ISRO's Solid Rocket Motors," Acta Astronautica vol. 19, no. 8, 1989, p. 682.

September-October 1968
Indian space and rocket engineers prepare a preliminary report on India's proposed satellite launch vehicle to place a 20-40kg satellite in a 400km orbit. Their report proposes that India build a four-stage, solid-fuel launcher, modeled on the US Scout rocket. Y.J. Rao is asked to prepare a more detailed study. He submits an additional four to six configurations, all of them involving solid-stages, differing only in their length and diameter. [Note: The US Solid Controlled Orbital Utility Test (SCOUT) rocket program was conceived in 1958 and emerged as a four-stage vehicle capable of being used as a sounding rocket or lightweight satellite launcher. Scout was manufactured by LTV Aerospace and was America's first solid-fuel rocket. Scout's first-stage motor was based on an earlier version of the Navy's Polaris missile motor; the second-stage was developed using the Army's Sergeant surface-to-surface missile; and the third- and fourth-stages were adapted from the Navy's Vanguard missile. The standard Scout launch vehicle is a solid-propellant, four-stage booster system, approximately 23m in length with a launch weight of 21 tons. NASA decided that all the four stages would be solid fuel, citing the relative simplicity and reliability of previously demonstrated technology. The Scout's first stage, called Algol, burned for 40 seconds and produced a thrust of 511kN. It was controlled by using moveable outer tips of four stabilizer fins in conjunction with four exhaust deflector vanes. The second stage was stabilized by hydrogen peroxide jets; it burned for 39 seconds and produced a thrust of 222kN. The third stage, Antares, burned for 39 seconds, was stabilized by hydrogen peroxide jets, and could produce 60.5kN of thrust. The fourth stage burned for 38 seconds, was spin-stabilized, and could produce a thrust of 13.34kN. The third and fourth stages were encased in a glass-fiber shield, which included a payload shroud and a device to spin-stabilize the fourth stage. The Scout was able to carry a 22.6kg payload on a ballistic trajectory to an altitude of 13,679km or alternatively a 68kg payload in low-earth orbit.

The Scout guidance and control system provides attitude reference as well as the control signals and forces necessary to stabilize the vehicle in pitch, yaw, and roll axes. Miniature rate gyros detect any deviation from the vehicle's programmed path and generate electronic signals. These signals, along with the "rate-of-movement" information are then fed into the appropriate stage control system. The original NASA Scout was modified for specific US Air Force applications under the designations Blue Scout I, Blue Scout II, and Blue Scout Junior. The Blue Scout II was also modified by NASA for use in the Mercury program and named Mercury-Scout.]
—Gopal Raj, "SLV-3: India's First Launch Vehicle," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 50-51; "NASA'S Scout Launch Vehicle," NASA Facts Online (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), <http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/service/gallery/fact_sheets/general/scout.htm
gallery/fact_sheets/general/scout.htm>; Cliff Lethbridge, "Scout Program Background Factsheet," Spaceline, <http://www.spaceline.org/rocketsum/scout-program.html>.

1968
India's defense ministry forms a missile panel to draw up plans for developing missiles in India. The joint director of missiles in the Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain V.S. Narayanan and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam are inducted as members of the panel. The panel discusses plans for building long-range ballistic missiles. Narayanan makes a case for using the technology developed for the civilian satellite launch vehicle for missile-related research and development.
—A.P.J. Abdul Kalam with Arun Tiwari, "Creation," Wings of Fire: An Autobiography (Hyderabad: Universities Press (India) Limited, 1999), p. 53.

1968
The joint director of missiles in the Indian Air Force Group Captain V.S. Narayanan proposes a project to reverse-engineer the SA-2 surface-to-air (SAM) within five years at a cost of 165 million rupees.
—Raj Chengappa, "Not So Valiant," Weapons of Peace: The Secret Story of India's Quest to be a Nuclear Power (New Delhi: Harper Collins Publishers India, 2000), p. 148.

1968
First flight-test of the Menaka-I sounding rocket. [Note: The Menaka-I is a solid-motor rocket capable of carrying a "dart payload" (copper chaff) to altitudes of 55km and higher.]
—Gopal Raj, "First Steps in Rocketry," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), p. 41; Annual Report: 1973-74, Department of Space (Government of India), p. 18.

Late 1968
The Indian National Committee on Space Research (INCOSPAR) begins work on designing a bipropellant liquid-propulsion system with two propellants: aniline for fuel and red fuming nitric acid (RFNA) as an oxidizer. The first experiment with a liquid-propellant motor is designated LPM-0. [Note: A bipropellant rocket has two separate propellants, an oxidizer and a fuel. They are stored separately and not mixed outside the combustion chamber. Aniline is one of the more commonly used liquid fuels. Upon contact with RFNA, it ignites spontaneously. A fuel and oxidizer reacting in this manner are said to be hypergolic. Aniline is an extremely dangerous chemical, produces toxic side effects, and requires careful handling. RFNA is a commonly available nitric acid oxidizer favored for tactical missiles and is widely used in Scud-technology-based missiles. It is easily obtained because of the large quantities produced for explosives and fertilizers. However, RFNA is extremely corrosive and toxic and requires careful handling. This oxidizer has been successfully used with aniline giving up nearly 63.6% of its oxygen content for combustion.]
—Gopal Raj, "Early Initiatives in Liquid Propulsion," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 107-108; "Category II-Item 4: Propellants," Missile Technology Control Regime Annex Handbook, p. 4-7; George P. Sutton, "Liquid Propellant Rocket Fundamentals," Rocket Propulsion Elements: An Introduction to the Engineering of Rockets (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1986), p. 147.

1964-1969
The Defense Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) acquires the capability to fabricate a 500kg regenerative-cooling liquid-propellant engine using kerosene as fuel and red fuming nitric acid (RFNA) as oxidizer.
—Dr. N.C. Birla and B.S. Murthy, eds., "Fabrication and Manufacturing Technologies," Indian Defence Technology: Missile Systems (DRDO, Ministry of Defence, December 1998), p. 77; Dr. N. C. Birla and B. S. Murthy, eds., "Propulsion Systems," p. 92; Raj Chengappa, "End the Wink and Nudge Approach," Weapons of Peace: The Secret Story of India's Quest to be a Nuclear Power (New Delhi: Harper Collins Publishers India, 2000).

February 1969
India decides to build a second rocket launch station at Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh). The launch station is to be built in three phases. In phase one, a sounding rocket launch facility will be built to conduct flight-tests of Rohini sounding rockets; in phase two, to be completed by December 1971, the range will be developed further for flight-testing larger multistage vehicles and the necessary tracking and telemetry systems will be made available for performance tests; in phase three, the various facilities required for handling the satellite launch vehicle such as the long-range tracking radars, high-power ground telemetry stations, computational facilities, and a communications and control center, will be built by 1973-74. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) budgets 27 million rupees for building the rocket launching station at Sriharikota. In addition, the total cost for building high-performance missile-tracking radars and pulse code modulation (PCM) communication systems for the decade 1970-80 is estimated at 37.5 million rupees. [Note 1: Telemetry refers to "information or measurements transmitted by radio-frequency waves from a remote source to...recording device (e.g., from a spacecraft to an earth station). A telemetry data stream is usually transmitted separately from any other communication channel, since it concerns only the status of the spacecraft subsystems. The data are used both to control the spacecraft and establish the performance of the subsystem equipment. Historically, telemetry has been allocated its own frequency band and been transmitted by dedicated subsystem equipment." Note 2: Telemetry, tracking, and command refers to a "spacecraft subsystem incorporating the three functions: telemetry, which is downlinked from the spacecraft to the ground; tracking, whereby an earth station tracks the telemetry carrier or a beacon carried on the spacecraft; and command, whereby instructions are uplinked from the ground to the spacecraft." Note 3: Pulse code modulation (PCM) is a digital scheme for transmitting analog data. The signals in PCM are binary. Using PCM, it is possible to digitize all forms of analog data, including full-motion video, music, voices, telemetry, and virtual reality.]
—Gopal Raj, "SLV-3: India's First Launch Vehicle," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), p. 49; "Space Research," Atomic Energy and Space Research: A Profile For The Decade 1970-80 (Atomic Energy Commission, 1970), pp. 34-35; "Annexure I: Cost Estimates of the Space Research Programme (1970-80)," Atomic Energy and Space Research: A Profile For The Decade 1970-80 (Atomic Energy Commission, 1970); "Pulse Code Modulation," Whatis?.com, <http://whatis.techtarget.com/whome/0,,sid9,00.html>; Mark Williamson, Dictionary of Space Technology (New York: Adam Hilger, 1989), p. 341.

February 1969
India commissions its Rocket Propellant Plant (RPP) at Thumba (Kerela). The first Indian Centaure rocket filled with propellant made at RPP flies on 7 December 1969.
—Gopal Raj, "First Steps in Rocketry," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), p. 38.

26 February 1969
India launches its first indigenously built Centaure sounding rocket. The rocket is launched from the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS); it carries a 31kg-payload and reaches an altitude of 145km. The Centaure's motor casings and other metal parts are fabricated at the central workshop of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Trombay (Maharashtra).
—Gopal Raj, "First Steps in Rocketry," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), p. 38.

1969
The Indian Army opposes Defense Research & Development Laboratory's (DRDL) anti-tank missile project. As a result of new technological developments, the Army changes its General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQR) and demands that DRDL extend the range of the missile from 1.6km to 3km; the new specifications also require that the hand-held missile currently under development be capable of being mounted and fired from a mobile-launcher.
—Raj Chengappa, "Build an ICBM or I'll Shut Down the Lab," Weapons of Peace: The Secret Story of India's Quest to be a Nuclear Power (New Delhi: Harper Collins Publishers India, 2000), p. 142.

15 August 1969
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) creates the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) as the apex body to govern India's civil space program.
—Gopal Raj, "SLV-3: India's First Launch Vehicle," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 50-51.

1969-1970
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) decides to build a Solid Propellant Space Booster Plant (SPROB) to cast large solid-propellant motors and a Static Test & Evaluation Complex (STEX) in Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) to test solid motors. These facilities are planned to meet the needs of the satellite launch vehicle (SLV) and other bigger launchers. ISRO also decides to expand the Rocket Propellant Plant (RPP) in Thumba (Kerela) and set up a Reinforced Plastic Centre (REPLACE) at Vattiyooorkavu near Thiruvanathapuram (Kerela) to develop advanced composite materials for upper rocket stages. The solid-propellant plant and static test facility are estimated to cost 157 million rupees. [Note 1: Static test facilities are used for testing the stage motors of launch vehicles and subsystems in order to study their performance characteristics and qualify them for flight environments. Note 2: Composites and laminates are used to make missile parts that are often lighter, stronger, and more durable than parts made of metals or other materials. Composites and laminates can be used almost anywhere in ballistic missiles or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including cruise missiles. Uses include solid rocket motor cases, interstages, wings, inlets, nozzles, heat shields, nosetips, structural members, and frames.]
—Gopal Raj, "Developing Competence in Solid Propulsion," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 77-79; "Annexure I: Cost Estimates of the Space Research Programme (1970-80)," Atomic Energy and Space Research: A Profile For The Decade 1970-80 (Atomic Energy Commission, 1970); "Category II - Item 8: Structural Materials," Missile Technology Control Regime Annex Handbook, p. 8.

1969-1970
India invites French and American companies to set up the Solid Propellant Space Booster Plant (SPROB) at Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh). However, after an extensive tour of facilities in the United States and France, Indian scientists and engineers decide to purchase the equipment from the suppliers directly and build the facility themselves at a fraction of the price quoted by the US and French companies.
—Gopal Raj, "Developing Competence in Solid Propulsion," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), p. 85.

1962-1970
The propulsion system of the anti-tank missile is static and flight-tested extensively between 1962-70. Defense Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) conducts 476 static and 500 flight-tests. Five percent of the propulsion units burst in the air due to "sustainer propellant defects." These defects are attributed to the lack of foolproof non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques. [Note 1: Static rocket system test (with complete propulsion system on test stand) refers to: "(a) simulated rocket operation for proper function, calibration, ignition, operation, usually without establishing full combustion, and (b) complete propulsion tests under rated conditions, off-design conditions, with intentional variations in environment or calibration." Note 2: Flight-tests refer to the "test of a rocket system on a specially instrumented flight-test range with a special test vehicle or production vehicle." Static and flight-tests on rocket systems are usually performed to "research the development of or improvement of a new rocket engine or motor; evaluate the suitability of a new or modified rocket engine or motor for a specified application; and evaluate production and quality assurance of a rocket system." Note 3: Non-destructive testing (NDT) refers to the "examination of an object with technology (e.g., radiography, ultrasonic, magnetic particle crack detection) that does not affect the object's future usefulness. NDT provides an excellent balance between quality control and cost-effectiveness. The term 'NDT' includes methods that can detect internal or external imperfections; determine structure, composition, or material properties; and measure geometric characteristics. NDT is used in all phases of a product's design and manufacture, including materials selection, research and development, assembly, quality control, and maintenance."]
—A. Subhananda Rao, "Development of Solid Propulsion Systems for Guided Missiles," in H.S. Mukunda and A.V. Krishnamurty, eds., Recent Advances in Aerospace Sciences and Engineering (Bangalore: Interline Publishing, 1992), p. 183; George P. Sutton, "Rocket Testing," Rocket Propulsion Elements: An Introduction to The Engineering of Rockets (New York: George Wiley & Sons, Inc.), p. 344; "What is NDT?" American Society for Nondestructive Testing, <http://www.asnt.org/>.

1962-1970
As part of the project to build anti-tank missiles, Defense Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) acquires facilities for machining, tool making, injection, molding, assembly, inspecting, carpentry, and electroplating. These facilities give India the technological capability to fabricate prototypes of gyroscopes, actuators, silver oxide-zinc batteries, booster and sustainer motors, air-frame hardware such as fiberglass wings, ground-launcher mechanisms, and wire spool winding and reeling mechanisms, for first-generation anti-tank missiles. Between 1968 and 1970s, DRDL produces nearly 40 missiles a month for in-house testing and user trials.
—Dr. N. C. Birla and B. S. Murthy, eds., "Fabrication and Manufacturing Technologies," Indian Defence Technology: Missile Systems (DRDO, Ministry of Defence, December 1998), p. 77.

1970
India launches a total of 205 sounding rockets between 1964-70 and plans to launch an additional 75 such rockets in 1970.
—"Space Research," Atomic Energy and Space Research: A Profile For The Decade 1970-80 (Atomic Energy Commission, 1970), p. 29.

1970
According to India's space profile for the decade 1970-80, the launch of the SLV-3 will be followed by the development of a more powerful satellite launch vehicle between 1975-79. The new vehicle will be capable of placing a 1,200kg satellite into synchronous orbit at 40,000km.
—"Space Research," Atomic Energy and Space Research: A Profile For The Decade 1970-80 (Atomic Energy Commission, 1970), p. 28.

1970
India's space profile for the decade 1970-80 states that special attention will be paid toward developing sophisticated control and guidance systems for multistage satellite launch vehicles (SLVs). This includes the "...design of optical, magnetic, and inertial type sensors and control components of electro-mechanical, magnetic, pneumatic and hydraulic types and associated special electronics." In addition, "....fibre glass, strip-wound, and helically welded rocket motors as well as special materials for aerospace use are required to be carried from pilot plant to the stage of large scale fabrication." Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) budgets 25 million rupees for the development of inertial and in-flight guidance systems and onboard miniaturized computers for rockets.
—"Space Research," Atomic Energy and Space Research: A Profile For The Decade 1970-80 (Atomic Energy Commission, 1970), p. 31; "Annexure-I: Cost Estimates of the Space Research Programme," Atomic Energy and Space Research: A Profile For The Decade 1970-80 (Atomic Energy Commission, 1970).

1970
Work begins on expanding the Rocket Propellant Plant (RPP) in Thumba (Kerela) to meet the demands of the satellite launch vehicle (SLV) program. Facilities are built to mix and cast larger quantities of propellant. In addition, ovens are acquired to "cure" the bigger solid-propellant motors. The total cost for building and expansion is estimated at 15 million rupees. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai also approves V. Gowariker's proposal to build a Propellant Fuel Complex (PFC) at the site to be used for scaling up studies to demonstrate production on an industrial scale as well as to manufacture polymers for use in the rocket program. [Note: The production equipment and infrastructure necessary to produce solid-rocket propellant are complex and specialized. Facilities and equipment are necessary for preparing the various propellant ingredients, mixing and handling the propellant, casting and curing the propellant inside the motor case, and other specialized processes such as pressing, machining, extruding, and acceptance testing. Solid propellant is produced by one of the two processes, either batch mixing or continuous mixing. Most rocket programs use the batch process to make solid-rocket motor propellant. The individual propellant ingredients such as the binder, oxidizers, metal powder, stabilizers, curing agents, and burn-rate modifiers, are mixed in large mixers to form a viscous slurry. The slurry is poured or cast into the rocket motor case, in which a mandrel creates a hollow chamber running down the center of the motor. The loaded motor case is placed in a large oven to cure the propellant. During curing, the slurry is transformed into a hard rubbery material, or propellant grain. The rocket motor with the cured propellant is then cooled, the mandrel removed, and any final trimming finished. Finished motors are usually X-rayed to ensure that propellant grain is homogenous, bonded to the case, and free of cracks.]
—Gopal Raj, "Developing Competence in Solid Propulsion," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 83-84; "Annexure II: Provisions Included in the IV Plan (1969-74) For Space Research," Atomic Energy and Space Research: A Profile For The Decade 1970-80 (Atomic Energy Commission, 1970); "Category II-Item 5: Propellant Production," Missile Technology Control Regime Annex Handbook, pp. 5-2-5-3.

Early 1970s
The West German space agency Deutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsanstalt fur Luft- und Raumfahrt (DFVLR) agrees to help the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in the design of a high-altitude test (HAT) facility to simulate the near vacuum conditions in space. This facility will be used to test the performance of a satellite launch vehicle's upper stages. [Note: Environmental test facilities such as high-altitude facilities (HAT) are used to expose rocket or missile components, subsystems, and entire vehicles to the low pressures, high and low temperatures, vibrations, and acoustics of powered flight in order to measure the responses. The data generated are used to confirm the correct designs and ensure flight worthiness. High-altitude testing is simulated by sealing test objects into rugged pressure chambers, which are then evacuated with vacuum pumps. Flight temperatures are simulated inside thermally insulated chambers equipped with heaters and refrigeration equipment. These chambers are equipped with vibration equipment designed to replicate specific vibration and acoustic environments. Vibration equipment are motor-driven tables capable of providing amplitude-frequency spectra to the levels required for a complete rocket system, subsystem, or component required during powered flight. Acoustic chambers use a combination of electrostatically or electromagnetically driven horns, like loudspeakers to provide a spectrum of sound pressures like those generated by a rocket motor exhaust and very high-speed aerodynamic flight.]
—Gopal Raj, "Developing Competence in Solid Propulsion," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), p. 88; "Category II-Item 15: Test Equipment," Missile Technology Control Regime Annex Handbook, pp. 15-9-15-10.

1 July 1970
Dr. B.D. Nagchaudhuri is appointed scientific advisor to the defense minister.
—Raj Chengappa, "Build an ICBM or I'll Shut Down the Lab," Weapons of Peace: The Secret Story of India's Quest to be a Nuclear Power (New Delhi: Harper Collins Publishers India, 2000), p. 132.

1970
France offers to license the production of SSIIBI anti-tank missiles to India. India accepts the French offer and sets up Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) in Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), to produce 1,000 SS11B1 anti-tank missiles annually for a period of 10 years. The Defense Research & Development Laboratory's (DRDL) anti-tank missile project ends in failure; almost half of DRDL's scientists are recruited to join BDL. [Note: Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) was incorporated in 1970 by signing a comprehensive license agreement between M/s Aerospatiale (Nord Aviation) of France and the Government of India for technology transfer to manufacture SSIIBI–a first-generation anti-tank missile. BDL was nominated as the prime production agency with a capital outlay of 50 million rupees.]
—Raj Chengappa, "Build an ICBM or I'll Shut Down the Lab," Weapons of Peace: The Secret Story of India's Quest to be a Nuclear Power (New Delhi: Harper Collins Publishers India, 2000), p. 142; 69th Report: Bharat Dynamics Limited, Parliamentary Committee on Papers: Rajya Sabha, 13 March 1999.

1970
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) decides to build a four-stage satellite launch vehicle (SLV) with a capability to place a 40kg satellite in a 400km near-circular earth orbit. The design and development of the vehicle's four stages is broken up into four subprojects and assigned to individual project leaders. V. Gowariker is selected to head the Design Project Stage-1 (DPS); A.E. Muthunayagam for DPS-2; M.R. Kurup for DPS-3; and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for DPS-4. The development of the SLV-3 is expected to cost 35 million rupees. [Note: ISRO opts for an all-solid four-stage rocket, as it has more experience with solid fuels. Further, the Indian SLV is modeled on the US Scout rocket, which has an all solid-fuel configuration. Since the Scout has flown successfully in the past, and knowledge of its dimensions and design parameters are available publicly, Indian scientists believe that a four-stage solid-fuel vehicle is feasible.]
—Gopal Raj, "SLV-3: India's First Launch Vehicle," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 50, 54, 55-57; "Annexure-I: Cost Estimates of the Space Research Programme," Atomic Energy and Space Research: A Profile For The Decade 1970-80 (Atomic Energy Commission, 1970).

1970
India designs and tests a new RH-125 rocket with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as the propellant. The new rocket weighing 32kg can carry a 7kg payload to a height of 10km.
—Gopal Raj, "First Steps in Rocketry," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 40-41.

1970
First test of the Menaka-II sounding rocket. [Note 3: Menaka-II is a two-stage, solid-motor rocket capable of carrying a 5.5kg-payload to an altitude of 75km.]
—Gopal Raj, "First Steps in Rocketry," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), p. 41.

November 1970
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi assigns Dr. B.D. Nagchaudhuri to initiate a top-secret feasibility study for building long-range ballistic missiles. Nagchaudhuri directs S. L. Bansal, head of Defense Research & Development Laboratory's (DRDL) rocketry division, to constitute a core group to prepare plans for building an 8,000km-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a 500kg payload within four years.
—Raj Chengappa, "Build an ICBM or I'll Shut Down the Lab," Weapons of Peace: The Secret Story of India's Quest to be a Nuclear Power (New Delhi: Harper Collins Publishers India, 2000), pp. 129-131.

December 1970
During a meeting with Dr. B.D. Nagchaudhuri in Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), Bansal rules out the possibility of building an 8,000km-range ballistic missile on grounds that India lacks the technological and organizational base to build long-range systems. He outlines the feasibility of building a 1,500km-range ballistic missile within six to eight years if given access to unrestricted manpower and finances. The successful development of a 1,500km-range missile is also considered overly optimistic.
—Raj Chengappa, "Build an ICBM or I'll Shut Down the Lab," Weapons of Peace: The Secret Story of India's Quest to be a Nuclear Power (New Delhi: Harper Collins Publishers India, 2000), p. 131.

1970-1971
ISRO's Propellant Engineering Division (PED) headed by V. Gowariker begins development of carboxyl-terminated polybutadiene (CTPB) resin for the SLV-3 upper stages. Due to difficulties in obtaining resin supplies from US companies, Gowariker's team decides to produce the resin indigenously. India's indigenous CTPB production process is proven on a lab-scale by mid-1971; the resin's chemical structure is slightly different from CTPB and the new resin is called High Energy Fuel-20 (HEF-20). HEF-20 is substituted for imported CTPB propellant formulations in the SLV-3's third and fourth stages. [Note: Carboxyl-terminated polybutadiene (CTPB) is a polymer used as a binder and fuel in solid rocket motor propellant. It is a liquid that polymerizes during motor manufacture to form the elastic matrix that holds the solid-propellant ingredients together in a rubber-like polymeric composite material. CTPB also burns as fuel and contributes to the overall thrust of the rocket motor. Polymers such as CTPB are used in the production of solid-rocket motors, hybrid-rocket motors, smaller rocket motors used to launch unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and cruise missiles. These binding ingredients greatly affect motor performance, aging, storability, propellant processing, and reliability.]
—Gopal Raj, "Developing Competence in Solid Propulsion," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 89-90; "Category II-Item 4: Propellants," Missile Technology Control Regime: Annex Handbook, pp. 4-11-4-12.

1970-1972
India approaches the United States and France for technical cooperation to build the STEX complex in Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh). The United States rejects India's request. However, France agrees to assist India in designing and building the facility. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) signs a technical cooperation agreement with the French company Société Européene de Propulsion (SEP). An ISRO team travels to France for training. French scientists help their Indian counterparts design the various test facilities, including the critical six-component test stand. Most of the fabrication of parts for the facility is done in India. However, some of the critical machinery such as the 16-ton vibration table is imported from Britain.
—Gopal Raj, "Developing Competence in Solid Propulsion," Reach for the Stars: The Evolution of India's Rocket Programme (New Delhi: Viking by Penguin Books India, 2000), pp. 87, 88.

	Updated July 2003