PSLV launch lights up social media

Those who witnessed PSLV C-29 lift up into space at ISRO’s facility in Sriharikota on Wednesday, had a memorable experience. After a long time, they got a glimpse of first, second and third generation of the satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) separate as per plan, thanks to the clear skies not only near the launch centre, but also across Chennai.

A senior ISRO official commented that it was a sight which he would not forget in his lifetime as he had not seen such anything so beautiful during any launch. People in Chennai were seen taking photographs of the rocket launch. Mustafa Izzi, an entrepreneur, says, “I was travelling from Purasawakkam towards Ambattur. When I reached Kilpauk, I saw a few people looking towards the sky. When I looked up, I saw a firework of a kind — something I’ve never seen before. 

The traffic halted for a few minutes, as people stopped their vehicles to take a picture of the rocket launch,” says Mustafa, who only came to know of ISRO’s rocket launch much later. Several people posted photographs of the launch on social media. The sights were surreal and was almost like in science fiction movies. Kirthi Jayakumar, a researcher and writer, on her Facebook wall posted, “I want to believe that the Smurfs are real and that this is the wormhole that Iron Man sent another missile through. But these local killjoys say that some satellites were launched or something. Whatever… My version is better.” Kirthi had heard about the rocket launch, but forgot about it completely. “I was in my office in R.A. Puram when my dad asked me to look out of the balcony. The sight was breathtaking. It reminded me of the scene from the movie Avengers,” she adds.

Senthil Kumar, Director of Centre for Aerospace Research, MIT Campus of Anna University, says, “These launches usually happen early in the morning. This was one of the few times the launch happened in the evening, making it extremely visible in the clear sky. Another reason why people could see the launch clearly could be the change in the combination of the propellants.”