Bengaluru: New show at planetarium honours legacy of India’s first satellite

Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: File photo Nearly 50 years after the satellite Aryabhata marked India’s entry into the space age, its legacy came alive once again beneath the dome of the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium in Bengaluru on Thursday (July 30) morning. Scientists, students and educators gathered for the unveiling of The Inspiring Legacy of Aryabhata, a new four-minute sky show commemorating India’s first satellite.The show, which will be screened before the planetarium’s regular presentations, explores Aryabhata’s role in laying the foundation for the country’s space programme, leading to landmark missions such as Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan and Aditya-L1.The programme was inaugurated by M. Sankaran, Director of the U.R. Rao Satellite Centre, and presided over by former ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar. B.R. Guruprasad, Director of the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, welcomed the gathering, which included scientists, educators and schoolchildren from across Bengaluru who attended the inaugural screening.Addressing the audience, Mr. Sankaran reflected on the importance of remembering India’s early achievements in space exploration. “The reason you need to remember the past is to look forward to the future, and that should give us the strength to go on,” he said, describing Aryabhata as the beginning of a journey that continues to shape India’s achievements in the space race.One school student described the show as “really inspiring”, while another said, “I really liked that they chose to commemorate Aryabhata this way. It helped us understand how one satellite became the foundation of India’s space programme.” Published - July 30, 2026 06:25 pm IST