ALTAR OF SPACE SCIENCE

(How a small Catholic Church in a coastal village helped India’s Space Programme to take off)

 

On 21st November 1962, the FIRST Rocket, blasted off from TERLS (Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station) signalling the beginning of India’s Space Programme.

 

The rocket systems were assembled and integrated inside the St. Mary Magdalene Church, in Thumba. This Church was literally the Birth Place of India’s Space Programme. 

 

ISRO Website mentions that the scientists worked inside the Church, which served as the “First Laboratory for Indian Space Research” 

 

Thumba was a small fishing village near Trivandrum. The village had a small Church in the name of Saint Mary Magdalene. This church was originally established by Saint Francis Xavier four centuries ago in 1544 in a thatched shed. (The permanent structure was built much later. The Church was under the Catholic Diocese of Trivandrum). 

 

It was destined to play an important role in the early days of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) 

 

In early nineties, inspired by the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, two leading scientists of India Dr. Homi Bhaba, and Dr. Vikram Sarabhai were looking for a suitable area for establishing the Rocket Launching Station and they had zeroed in the sleepy fishing village of Thumba. 

 

The total area was more than 600 acres, in which, the Church Land was 90 acres. That included the St. Mary Magdalene Church, Bishop’s residence, a Primary School and the Cemetery. The entire land has to be acquired, and they could not avoid the church land including the church. 

Moreover, there were 183 families of fishermen (who also happened to be the parishioners of the church). They have to be displaced and rehabilitated somewhere else without disrupting their way of living. It could involve a massive exodus.

 

Dr. Vikram Sarabhai believed Thumba was the most appropriate location and wanted to acquire the land at any cost. But everything depended upon the Catholic Church, Head of the Diocese (the Bishop) and most importantly the simple Parishioners. 

 

Dr. Sarabhai discussed the matter with his scientific team (which included Dr. A.P.J Abdula Kalam) and they had decided to meet the Bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. Peter Bernard Pereira. On a Saturday they met the bishop and he advised the team to attend, next day, the Sunday Mass (Church Service), and they could talk to the parishioners, about this matter.

 

What happened on that historic Sunday is written in detail by Dr. Kalam in his well-known book “Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power within India” 

 

The bishop addressed the people “My Children, I have a famous scientist, Vikram, with me who wants our Church for the work of Space science and research. Science seeks truth that enriches human life. Both science and spirituality seek prosperity in mind and body of humanity”. 

 

He explained in detail the requirement of the scientists and asked his parishioners, “Can we give them, God’s Abode for a scientific Mission?”.

 

The implications were: The villagers need to be relocated, the heritage church built by Saint Francis Xavier had to be given up, they needed to build another Church, their children’s schooling might disrupt, etc. 

 

But in spite of all these problems, the congregation agreed.

 

It was almost a sacrificial decision by a religious institution to provide the ALTAR for the scientific research in the interest of the humanity and the Nation.

 

Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and his team were emotionally moved by the decision of the bishop, Rev. Peter Bernard Pereira and his flock. The scientists took a firm decision that they would Never Demolish the Church even though worship might not take place there.

 

Once they could cease using the Church for scientific purposes, they had decided to convert it into a MUSEUM in 1985 dedicated to the History and Achievements of Space Research in India.