September 5 2010 

  Mark-0 and we have lift off.

  This is by way of an introduction.

  People generally say that one is born with a silver spoon in the mouth. But, I was different because I think was started enjoying rocket fuel from the moment I arrived on October 22,1949!  Months after I touched down the sky began to fascinate me. In my home in Mumbai I used to spend my time staring at the stars, planets and the moon and of course getting excited at the sight of an aircraft. My mom presented me with a lot of books about planes and the very first one which she gave me is still in my possession. On Saturday evenings I recall going out with my grandfather to Colaba and often he used to buy me books about space flight.

  Every year for my birthday my dad used to give me a card which he sketched for me. It generally indicated my interest. As my birthday neared, he used to scratch his head wondering what he should do for me that particular year.And I think he should be eternally grateful to the Apollo 11 mission because it gave him an idea without any difficulty---that year he gave me a wonderful card showing me cycling on the moon. The card is displayed in our room and has been reproduced in my book ``Moonshot India.'' Infact project director of Chandrayaan-1 Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, humourously remarked at the launch of  ``Moonshot India,'' in Bangalore on October 22,2009, -- the first anniversary of the launch of Chandrayaan-1 which coincides with my birthday on October 22,-- that the first man who landed on the moon was me!!!!!! The original card has been carefully preserved by my wife,Usha.

    Incidentally when my daughter, Rimanika, was brought home in Pune after she was born I telephoned my colleagues at The Times of India in Mumbai and announced over the telephone ``The Eagle Has Landed.''!  

     That is not all. Aware that I am a space kid, during the Viking landing on Mars in 1976 my folks gave me a press kit which was sent to them by what was then the United States Information Service (USIS). I had preserved it carerfully and today--September 5, 2010-- it came in handy when I had to do a story for the Moon Miners' Manifesto India,  about the latest discovery of Nasa's Phoenix mission which challenges the 34-year-old data from the Viking mission that there was no life on Mars.

     I have downloaded several videos about the Chandryaan-1 mission and our room is like a mini space exhibition--rocket models and posters the latter mainly about Chandrayaan. Recently when I visited the Indo-Pak border at Wagah with my family to witness the Beating The Retreat ceremony, kids who were selling souvenirs close to the frontier asked me my name. I replied: ``Chandrayaan!'' After the function when we were getting into the vehicle they rushed to me and said: ``Mr Chandrayaan will u please buy this dvd!!''
Yes, like it or not I am a spacestruck guy. And I wish I had worked at a rocket launch pad or a mission control centre.

     My role models are Wernher Von Braun, Sergei Korolev and Mylswamy Annadurai, the man behind the success of the Chandrayaan-1 mission.

     So folks this blog is mainly dedicated to space exploration. It will carry news and analysis about space events not only in India, but globally too.

      So on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi we are a go for launch.