Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is the father of India’s indigenous missile program. His three visions for India – Freedom, Development and Self-Reliance, are arrived at on the basis of achievements and progress made by India, and during his own career as a missile scientist. Recipient of several awards including the Padma Bhusan (1981), the Padma Vibhushan (1990), he has been honored with India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna (1997).

Activities

Abdul Kalam has specialized in Aero Engineering from Madras Institute of Technology. Besides being a chairperson to Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), he has also been appointed Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India and accorded the rank of Cabinet Minister. He had contributed to a large extent to the development of the Satellite Launch Vehicle III, which injected the Rohini Satellite into orbit. At 70, he overlooks overall scientific development of the country on issues relating to scientific and technical policies in different sectors. He also advises on matters relating to technological self-reliance and foreign collaboration.

Roots

Abdul Kalam was born on October 15, 1931, in a middle-class Tamil family at Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram district of Chennai. It is the capital city of the southern state of India. His father Jainulabdeen Marakayar was not a well-educated person, nor did he possess wealth in excess. Mother Ashiamma, had gained much formal education. His father possessed great innate wisdom, true generosity of spirit and was a spiritual person. In a remote belt of a spiritually charged island town, at the southern tip, his father rented boats to fishermen.

Childhood

Abdul had a materially and emotionally secure childhood. Being the youngest in the family he was pampered a lot. His neighbors remember him as an introvert interested in reading. In the environment that he grew up, books were a scarce commodity. Mr STR Manickam, his neighbor, who encouraged him to read books, says, "I used to have a library and Kalam was always there. He used to read everything he could lay his hands on."

He always used to eat with his mother, sitting on the floor. His decision to become a vegetarian was partly due to his financial constraints – but later on, he cultivated it as a habit. Kalam believes that he has inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father, while faith in goodness and kindness is the trait inherited from his mother.

Early Experiences

Abdul Kalam considered himself lucky to come in contact with enough good people in life, though Rameswaram was a highly stratified and rigid in terms of social segregation. He began his schooling at 'Samiyar' school in Rameshwaram. Sivasubramania Iyer, his science teacher was a Brahmin with a very conservative wife. The rebel in Iyer, tried to break social barriers for people of varying backgrounds to mingle easily. One day, he invited Kalam, home for a meal. His wife was horrified by the idea of a Muslim boy being invited to dine in her ritually pure kitchen. She refused to serve Kalam in her kitchen. Sivasubramania Iyer didn’t get angry nor was disturbed. Instead, he himself served Kalam and sat beside to eat his meal. His wife watched the conduct standing behind the kitchen door. While Kalam was to leave, Iyer invited him to join for dinner again the next weekend. When Kalam visited his house next week, his wife took Kalam inside her kitchen and served him food there itself. The orthodoxy, class and religious barriers were so prevalent that the society was divided in to classes as per the castes. The castes were divided on the basis of profession carried out by the person

Touching Event

In another such incident, when he was in Vth grade at the Rameswaram Elementary School, there came a new teacher in the class. Abdul being a traditional Muslim, wore a cap and sat in the front row, next to Ramanadha Shastry, a Hindu Brahmin who was wearing a sacred thread. The new teacher could not digest the fact that a Hindu priest’s son was sitting with a Muslim boy. Kalam was asked to sit on the on the last bench. This incident was forever embedded in his memory.

Witness To Nature In All Its Fury

Kalam’s father built wooden sailboats to ferry pilgrims to and fro, from Rameswaram to Dhanushkodi. He was also the Panchayat Board President of the village. Kalam overlooked the boat taking shape. Bulkheads and wooden hull were seasoned with the heat from wood fires. His father was doing good business with the boat, and one day, a cyclone struck the shore with winds blowing at over 100 miles per hour, which carried away their boats. The Pamban Bridge also collapsed with a train full of passengers to speak of the havoc wreaked by nature. Till then, he had seen the calm beauty of the sea, but then, its uncontrollable energy came as a revelation to him.

A Life-Long Friend

Jallaluddin, a relative who later married Kalam’s sister Zohara, became a good friend of Kalam. He would help his father at the boat building. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Jallaluddin, moved around with Abdul on long walks towards the sandy shores conducting spiritual discourses. Though Jallaluddin’s schooling had been limited, and it was perhaps, for this reason that he encouraged Kalam to excel at studies and equally enjoy Kalam’s success. An interesting feature of his was that he (Jallaluddin) was the only person on the island who could speak and understand English. Abdul has expressed his gratitude to Jallaluddin for creating an awareness in him regarding "brave, new world", beyond the narrow confines.

Since early childhood, mysteries of the sky and the bird flights fascinated Kalam. He used to watch cranes and seagulls soar into sky. He was convinced that one day, he too would fly into the skies. He was the first person from Rameswaram to fly later, indeed.

Another Influence

In 1939, World War II broke out, there was a sudden demand for tamarind seeds in the market. He used to collect the seeds and sell them to the provision store on Mosque street. A day’s collection would fetch him an anna, the lowest of denomination then. After listening to stories of war from Jallaluddin, he attempted to trace the headlines in a periodical, Dinamani. Though, their area was not much affected by the war, India as part of the Allied Forces, had joined the war and a state of emergency was declared then.

In all curiosity get an update on the war through pictures, Abdul would glance through the periodicals and newspapers before Samsuddin, his first cousin, would go to deliver to the customers. Due to emergency, the train halt at Rameshwaram was stopped and the bundles of periodicals and news papers has to be dropped out of the moving train. Here, Samsuddin engaged Abdul, thus making earn his first pay, a matter he takes pride in, even today. He gives full credit to Samsuddin.

Post-War Period

After World War II, Gandhiji declared "Indians will build their own India" and the country was filled with strong optimism. Abdul asked his father’s permission to leave Rameswaram and study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram. Samsuddin and Jallaluddin traveled with him to Ramanathapuram to enroll Kalam at Schwartz High School. Kalam felt homesick and therefore, grabbed every opportunity to visit his hometown. It was his father’s dream to see him as a successful person in the potion of a collector. This made him work hard and motivated him to fulfill his father’s dream .

Growing Qualities Within

He was about 15, when he met his teacher Iyadurai Solomon – an ideal guide for an eager mind. Solomon raised Kalam’s self-esteem and convinced him that the son of parents who had not had the benefit of education could also aspire to shape his life in the way he wished, because, through faith, anyone could change his destiny.

Once, when studying mathematics under Ramakrishna Iyer, Kalam was found loitering in the classroom; Iyer caught him by the scruff in front of the class. Few months later, he scored full marks in mathematics. Iyer narrated the incident to the entire school in the morning assembly saying that, whoever he caned became a great man. While at Schwartz, he grew up as a confident boy determined to succeed.

In 1950, he joined St. Joseph’s College to study for the Intermediate examination at Tiruchirappalli. Kalam’s brother Mustafa Kalam used to run a provision store on the railway station road. When Kalam used to go visit Rameswaram from Schwartz, Mustafa would vanish for hours together leaving the shop in charge of Kalam, who enjoyed selling novelties made of seashells. His younger brother Kasim, was also a salesman.

Shaping His Career

While he was a final year student at St. Joseph, Abdul Kalam developed a taste for English literature. He started reading great classics by writers. Among them Scott, Tolstoy and Hardy were his favorites and later on, he moved to philosophy. It was during this period when he got interested in physics. Prof. Chinna Durai and Prof. Krishnamurthy, his physics teachers at St. Joseph’s, introduced him to the concept of the half-life period and matters related to radioactive decay of substance through subatomic physics.

When he finished BSc, he was not aware of any other professional course. On completion of BSc from St. Joseph, he realized that engineering subjects were his favorite rather than physics. So he applied at the prestigious Madras Institute of Technology (MIT). Though selected on the merit list, it was an expensive affair for him to get enrolled. His sister Zohara stood by him, mortgaging her gold bangles and chain.

At MIT, two de-commissioned aircraft displayed for the demonstration of various subsystems of flying machines, fascinated him. He would sit for hours together observing them, even after other students left for their hostel. On completion of the first year, when he had to select a particular branch, he opted for aeronautical engineering. Here, he decided his goal to fly aircrafts. Prof. Sponder, Prof. KAV Pandalai and Prof. Narasingha, were his teachers at MIT, who shaped his thinking and formed a foundation on which he built his professional career.

Prof. Sponder, was an Austrian who taught him technical aerodynamics, Prof. KAV Pandalai, a very cheerful, friendly and enthusiastic teacher, taught aero-structure to Kalam, whereas, theoretical aerodynamics was taught by Prof. Narasingha Rao, a mathematician.

At the end of third year, along with four other colleagues, he was assigned a project to design a low-level attack aircraft. Kalam took up the responsibility of preparing and drawing its aerodynamic design, while his teammates took up the task of designing the propulsion, structure, control and instrumentation of the aircraft.

His design teacher Prof. Srinivasan, then the director of MIT, reviewed the project and declared Kalam’s work to be gloomy and disappointing. He didn’t lend an ear to his excuses. Kalam asked for a month’s time to complete the task, but, the prof. told him, "Look, young man, today is Friday afternoon. I give you three days time. If by Monday morning I don’t get the configuration drawing, your scholarship will be stopped." Kalam could not respond as scholarship was his lifeline, and could not go ahead if it was taken away. There was no other way out but to finish the task. He didn’t sleep that night, working on the drawing board skipping his dinner. On Saturday, he took just an hour’s break and ate little. On Sunday morning, he was near completion, when he felt someone’s presence in his room. It was Prof. Srinivasan watching his progress. After looking at his work, he patted his back and hugged him affectionately. He had words of appreciation : "I knew I was putting you under stress and asking you to meet an impossible deadline. I never expected you to perform so well."

The Dream

After completing his third year at MIT, Kalam joined Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bangalore as a trainee. Here, he worked on technical aspects of Aircrafts like piston, turbine engines, radial engine-cum-drum operations, checking crankshaft for wear and tear etc.

In 1958, when he came out of HAL as a graduate of aeronautical engineering, he had his long-standing dream of flying, as two alternative opportunities for employment. One was the job at Directorate of Technical Development and Production (DTD & P) [Air] of the Ministry of Defense and another was a career in the Indian Air Force. He applied at both the places, and received interview calls simultaneously, from both. He had to reach Dehra Dun for an interview with Air Force recruitment authorities via Delhi, by DTD&P (Air) for the same.

He first went to Delhi for an interview with DTD&P (Air), which did not challenge his knowledge of the subject. Then, he proceeded to Dehra Dun for interview with the Air Force Selection Board. Here too, the interview was more on personality test, rather than testing his knowledge. He stood ninth in the batch of 25, and eight officers were selected to be commissioned in the Air Force. This was a disappointing, as he could feel the opportunity to join the Air Force slipping out of his hands.

Meets Swamiji

Kalam then visited Rishikesh where he bathed in the Ganga and met Swami Sivananda – "a man who looked like Buddha". He introduced himself to the Swamiji, to a no-reaction on his Muslim identity. He questioned Kalam for his sorrow and regrets in life. Kalam told him about his unsuccessful attempt to join the Indian Air Force and his long-cherished desire to fly. Sivananda guided him saying: "Accept your destiny and go ahead with your life. You are not destined to become an Air Force pilot. What you are destined to become is not revealed now but it is predetermined. Forget this failure, as it was essential to lead you to your destined path. Search, instead, for the true purpose of your existence. Become one with yourself, my son! Surrender yourself to the wish of God."

After returning to Delhi he received an appointment letter from DTD & P (Air). On the next day he joined as Senior Scientific Assistant, with a basic salary of Rs. 250/- per month. Here, he was posted at the Technical Center (Civil Aviation). He lost his resentment of failure, thinking he would be able to make aircrafts airworthy if not fly them. During his first year at the Directorate, he carried out a design assignment on supersonic target aircraft with the help of his officer-in-charge, R Varadharajan, and won praise from the Director, Dr Neelakantan. There from, he was sent to the Aircraft and Armament Testing Unit (A & ATU) at Kanpur to get shop-floor exposure in aircraft maintenance.

No Marriage Plans

He once told a friend, half-jocularly, that if he had married, he would never have achieved even half of what he has managed to. "When he was posted in Thiruvananthapuram, we almost fixed an alliance for him. But my wife and daughter fell ill and we got distracted by that. After that he left for Hyderabad," recalled Kalam's brother

Team Man At DTD & PUpon his return to Delhi, he was informed that the design of a DART target had been taken up at the DTD & P (Air) and he was included in the design team. After that, he undertook a preliminary design study on Human Centrifuge. He designed and developed a vertical takeoff and landing platform, and Hot Cockpit. Three years later, the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) was formed in Bangalore and he was posted there.

Based on his preliminary studies on ground-handling equipment, a project team was formed to design and develop an indigenous hovercraft prototype as a Ground Equipment Machine (GEM). It was a four-member team of Scientific Assistants. Director of ADE, OP Mediratta, asked, Kalam to head the team and the engineering model was to be launched within the next three years.

The project was bigger than their collective capabilities as none of them had any experience in building a machine. They started working on a difficult project, to produce a wingless, light and swift machine. He could find metaphorical connection between a hovercraft and an aircraft. The then Defense Minister V K Menon showed keen interest in this project, which filled them with new enthusiasm. There were many who tried to discourage and dissuade them. During the project, the Defense Minister regularly visited ADE. After a few questions, it was decided that the prototype would go in test flight within a year. He told the Director: “GEM flight is possible with the gadgets Kalam now possesses.”

The hovercraft was called Nandi, after Shiva’s bull. It received a form beyond their expectation. The Defense Minister joined the test of Nandi, overruling the accompanying official’s concern for his safety. They could complete the project prior to the deadline. The hovercraft was on an air cushion of about 40-mm with a load of 550 kg. including the tare weight. Dr Mediratta was visibly pleased with the project but Kalam was disappointed, as he could not obtain desired results.

Meeting MGK Menon

After a few days, Mediratta called Kalam and inquired if the hovercraft was ready for flight. Some VIP were to visit the laboratory the next day. Next morning, Mediratta came with a tall, handsome and bearded visitor who asked Kalam several questions. He took a 10-minute ride in the hovercraft. He was Prof MGK Menon, Director of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai (TIFR). Within a week, Kalam received an interview call for the post of Rocket Engineer from the Indian Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), about which, he later came to know that it was formed out of the TIFR talent pool at Mumbai to organize space research in India.

First Meeting with Sarabhai

The interview was held at Mumbai, headed by Dr Vikram Sarabhai along with Prof MGK Menon and Mr. Saraf, the then Deputy Secretary of the Atomic Energy Commission. All of them were very polite, friendly and warm, as Kalam later recalled. He was absorbed as a rocket engineer at INCOSPAR.

In 1962, INCOSPAR decided to set up the Equatorial Rocket Launching Station at Thumba, a sleepy fishing village near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The site was selected as it was found suitable due to its geographical proximity with the earth’s magnetic equator.

First Visit To NASA

Soon after, Kalam was asked to proceed to America for a six-month training program on Sounding Rocket Launching Techniques at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) work centers. Before leaving India, he visited his family at Rameswaram.

India’s First Rocket Launch Program

Kalam started working at NASA at the Langley Research Center (LRC) in Hampton, Virginia, which is primarily an R & D center for advanced aerospace technology. From LRC, he went to Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) at Greenbelt, Maryland. At the end of his visit, he went to the Wallops Flight Facility at Wallops Island in East Coast, Virginia. He was impressed by the American mentality of fighting in adverse situation. As soon as Kalam returned to India from NASA, India’s first rocket launch took place on November 21, 1963. He was in charge of rocket integration and safety when the Nike–Apache was launched. The launch was smooth and problem free.

Dr Sarabhai was happy with the successful launch of the Nike–Apache and was planning his future with Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV). He asked Kalam to take up studies on a Rocket-Assisted Take-off System (RATO) for military aircraft. Dr Sarabhai, an ideal experimenter and innovator, had great faith in his team under active collaboration with the USA, France and USSR. He could develop the rocket launch site at the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launch Station (TERLS). The real journey of the Indian aerospace program, began with the Rohini Sounding Rocket (RSR) Program. The program was responsible for the development and fabrication of sounding rockets and their associated on-board systems for scientific investigations in India. Kalam was assigned the task of providing interface support to payload scientists. He had to interact with scientists from TIFR, National Physical Laboratory (NPL), and Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), besides scientists from the USA, USSR, France, Germany and Japan.

Providential Escape

Kalam had a colleague named Sudhakar, working in the Payload Preparation Laboratory. Once they were filling and remotely pressing the hazardous sodium and thermite mix. The climate of Thumba was hot and humid. After the sixth operation, both of them went into the payload room to confirm the proper filling of the mix. Suddenly, a drop of sweat from Sudhakar’s forehead fell onto the sodium, and soon, there was a violent explosion, which shook the room. The fire was spreading fast and water cannot extinguish such fires. Sudhakar did not lose his presence of mind. He broke the glass window with his bare hands and threw Kalam out to safety before jumping out himself.

While working at TERLS, he was involved with rocket preparation activities, payload assembly, testing, evaluation, building subsystems like payload housing and jettisonable nose cones. As a natural consequence, he was led to the field of composite materials, working on cones. He used to read anything and everything available on related topics, particularly on glass and carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) composites.

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s Visit To Thumba

In February 1969, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited Thumba to dedicate TERLS to the International Space Science Community. She commissioned India’s first filament winding machine at their laboratory. Kalam, along with CR Satya, PN Subramanian and MN Satyanarayana, made high strength glass cloth laminates to build non-magnetic payload housings and test-flew them in a two-stage sounding rocket. They also wound and test-flew rocket motor casings of upto 360-mm diameter. The Indian payloads now, were no longer needed to be launched by French rockets as done earlier due to lack opf infrastructure and technology. Two rockets Rohini and Menaka were built at Thumba. Under special attention and guidance of Dr Sarabhai, the first Rohini–75 rocket was launched from TERLS on November 20, 1967. The following year, Kalam was called at Delhi along with Group Captain VS Narayanan at Hotel Ashoka by Dr Sarabhai.

Dr Sarabhai had planned to develop a Rocket Assisted Take Off system (RATO) for military aircraft, which could help our warplanes take off from shorter runways, especially in the Himalayas. By that evening, with the approval of the Prime Minister, India took up development of indigenous device to help assist short run take offs by high performance military aircraft based on Russian RATO system. Kalam was to head the project, which was completed within 18 months.

After detailed analysis of the available options, Kalam selected fibre glass motor casing. He also decided to take additional safety measures by incorporating a diaphragm – which would rupture if the chamber pressure exceeded twice the operating pressure. The release of a 10-year profile for space research in India, prepared by Dr Sarabhai was the first work on RATO. This profile was a theme paper meant for open discussions, to be later transformed into a program.

The second development during the work on RATO was the formation of a missile panel in the Ministry of Defense. Both Kalam and Narayanan were inducted as members. They were very excited with the idea of making missiles on their own. Kalam had a new, young colleague, Jaya Chandra Babu, very positive in attitude and articulate too. At that time, Defense R&D, was heavily dependent on imported equipment. Kalam asked Jaya to find a way to be self-reliant. He said that the RATO system can be developed without imports, but its inherent inelasticity in the approach of the organization towards procurement and sub-contracting, which would be the two major thrust areas, had to be avoided. He asked for seven liberties including financial approval by a single person instead of an entire hierarchy. Air travel for all on work irrespective of their entitlement, accountability to only one person, lifting of goods by air-cargo, sub-contracting to the private sector, placement of orders on the basis of technical comparison, and expeditious accounting procedures. Though, such procedures remained unheard in government establishments, Dr Sarabhai approved them without second thought.

Babu, with his uncommon sense in financial dealings, highlighted the importance of business acumen in developmental work with high stakes. They opted for a composite structure for the RATO motor casing using filament fibre glass. They had also gone in high energy composite propellant and an event based ignition and jettisoning system. On the 12th month of project initiation, they conducted the first static test of RATO.

Project Leader For SLV

In 1968, the Indian Rocket Society was formed. The INCOSPAR was reconstituted as an advisory body under the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was created under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) to conduct space research in the country. Kalam was selected as project leader in Dr Sarabhai’s dream project of an Indian Space Launch Vehicle (SLV). Kalam was assigned the responsibility of designing fourth stage of the SLV, while Dr VR Gowarikar, Kurup and AE Muthunayagam were assigned the tasks of designing the other three stages. The fourth stage was to be a composite structure and called for a large number of innovations in fabrication technology. He always considered the price of perfection prohibitive and allowed mistakes as part of the learning process.

Meeting Prof. Curien

One day, Dr Sarabhai brought a French visitor Prof. Curien, President of CNES (Centre Nationale de Etudes Spatiales). Together, they helped Kalam set the target and continued doing so even in his failure. Prof. Curien advised Dr Sarabhai to relieve Kalam from all the minor jobs, which posed little challenge and to give him more opportunities for higher achievement. He was so impressed that he thought of giving his Diamont airframe to Kalam. The Diamont and SLV air frames were incompatible. As diameters were quite different, radical innovations were required to attain inter changeability.

Kalam formed a habit of making notes on individual suggestions and gave handwritten notes to his colleagues in engineering and design, requesting concrete follow-up action within five to ten days. Their counterparts in Europe could barely manage in three years, which Kalam’s team finished in a year’s time. They modified SLV – IV stage design to suit the Diamont airframe. It was configured and upgraded from a 250 kg, 400 mm diameter stage to a 600 kg, 650 mm diameter stage. After two years of hard work, when they were about to deliver it to CNES, the French suddenly cancelled their Diamont BC program. They didn’t need stage IV any more. This was a great shock for Kalam, as intense as his early disappointments at Dehra Dun when he failed to get into Air Force and at Bangalore, when the Nandi project was aborted at ADE.

With the course of time, RATO filled the vacuum created in Kalam by the Diamont BC stage. When the RATO project was underway, the SLV project slowly started taking shape.

In 1968, Dr Sarabhai visited Thumba as his routine. He was shown the operation of the nose-cone jettisoning mechanism. Dr Sarabhai pressed the button to activate the Pyro system through a time circuit. Nothing happened. Kalam and his team detached the timer device, giving direct connection to the Pyros. Once again the button was pressed. The pyros were fired and the nose-cone was jettisoned. Kalam asked for a single roof to carry out system integration of all rocket stages and rocket systems. It needed little effort to bring together the desperate work on electrical and mechanical integration. They decided to set up a Rocket Engineering Section that took birth in the failure of the timer circuit of a Rocket Engineering Laboratory.

Death Of Dr Sarabhai

On December 30, 1971, in Delhi, Kalam briefed Dr Sarabhai regarding the Missile Panel meeting. Sarabhai instructed Kalam to wait at Trivandram for him. When he reached Trivandrum, the aircraft ladder operator informed him that Dr Sarabhai was no more. Kalam was shocked as he had conversed with Sarabhai just an hour ago. It was a great blow to Kalam and a huge loss to Indian science. Kalam considered Dr Sarabhai as the Mahatma Gandhi of Indian science.

On October 8, 1972, the RATO system was successfully tested at Bareilly Air Force station in Uttar Pradesh. At that time, a high performance Sukhoi–16 jet aircraft became airborne after a short run of 1200 meters, as against its usual run of two kms. Kalam used 66th RATO motor in the test. This effort is said to have saved approximately 40 million Indian rupees in foreign exchange. The Indian RATO could be produced at Rs. 17,000 a piece, and it replaced the imported RATO, which cost Rs. 33,000.

Work Distribution Of SLV3The Vikram Sarabhai Space Center was working on the SLV. This mega project lacked management structure to handle and coordinate activities, which had spawned in large number of place. Prof. Dhawan, in consultation with Dr Brahm Prakash, selected Kalam for the job, appointing him as the Project Manager – SLV, and reported directly to the Director, VSSC. Kalam was determined to prevent people from taking either extreme, and to promote conditions where work and workers went together. The primary objectives of the SLV project were design, development and operation of a standard SLV system, SLV-3, capable of reliably and expeditiously fulfilling the specified mission of launching a 40-kg satellite into a 400-km circular orbit around the earth. A target of ‘all line’ flight test within 64 months was set in March 1973.

Kalam took up the responsibility of implementing the project within the framework of policy decisions taken, the approved management plan, and the project report; and also within the budget and through the powers delegated by the Director, VSSC. Kalam projected a requirement of 275 engineers and scientists for SLV-3 but could get only 50. Each member of SLV-3 project team was a specialist in his own field. Kalam faced urgent and conflicting demands on time as a leader executing the SLV-3 for committee work, material procurement, correspondence, reviews, briefings, and for the need to be informed on a wide range of subjects.

Kalam stressed three things to his colleagues – importance of design capability, goal setting and realization, and the strength to withstand setbacks. Kalam and his team decided to develop important technologies like welding techniques for low alloy stainless steel, electroforming techniques, and ultra-precision process tooling. They also decided to prepare few important machines in-house, like the 254-litre vertical mixer and the groove machining facility for the third and fourth stages.

SLV brought a new surge of activity in the development of a variety of transducers for measurement of physical parameters like pressure, thrust, vibration acceleration, etc. The SLV project also initiated the indigenous production of sequencers, which timed the various events, such as ignition, stage separation; vehicle altitude programmers, which store the information for the rocket maneuvers; and auto-pilot electronics, which take appropriate decision to steer the rocket along its pre-determined path. Without the energy to propel the whole system, a launch vehicle remains grounded. This team of almost self-trained engineers had within them untutored talent, character and dedication suitable for SLV.

Almost parallel to SLV, the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) was preparing itself for developing an indigenous surface-to-air missile. On January 1, 1975, Kalam was taken on the DRDO team as a rocket specialist to evaluate the progress made in the areas of aerodynamics, structure and propulsion of the missile. They met at Defense Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) on January 1 and 2, 1975, followed by the concluding meeting towards the end of March 1975 at Trivandrum.

Kalam clearly communicated the needs of his colleagues and insisted upon the financial freedom to the project team. Dr Brahm Prakash, Director, VSSC, and a renowned metallurgist was taken aback by the bluntness of Kalam’s submission. He stubbed his cigarette and walked out of the meeting. For the entire night, Kalam regretted the pain of his harsh words on Dr Prakash. After giving a thought, Kalam arrived at a conclusion: "What would hurt Dr Brahm Prakash more, my seemingly harsh words now, or the burial of the SLV at a later stage?" Dr Brahm Prakash delegated financial powers to the project the next morning.

In 1975, ISRO became a government body. He came in contact with TN Seshan, the then Joint Secretary in the Department of Space (DOS). Till then, he had a latent reservation about bureaucrats. Hence, Kalam was initially not very comfortable to see Seshan participating in a SLV-3 management board meetings. First three years of the SLV project was the period of revelation of many fascinating mysteries of science. Kalam became aware of the difference between science and technology, between research and development. He says : "Science is inherently open-ended and exploratory. Development is a closed loop. Science is a passion, a never-ending voyage in promises and possibilities."

The SLV-3 project had been formulated in such a fashion that the major technology work centers, at VSSC and Sriharikota (SHAR) could handle production, rocket motor testing and launch of any large diameter rocket. Participating with SLV-3 project, they set three milestones for themselves :

• development and flight qualification of all subsystems through sounding rockets by 1975;
• sub-orbital flights by 1976 and;
• the final orbital flight in 1978.

Though SLV-3 was not final, its subsystems were being finished. In June 1974, they used the Centaur Sounding Rocket Launch to test some critical systems. The test was a complete success. The first orbital flight by India was scheduled in 1978.

Journey with Von Braun

Kalam was to meet Wernher Von Braun, the man who conceived the lethal V-2 missile and was involved with rocket program at NASA and later he became the technical director of the German Missile Laboratory. Kalam was excited to travel with such a man who was a scientist, a designer, a production engineer, an administrator and a technology manager. Kalam was to escort him from Madras to Thumba. Braun observed the length to diameter L/D ratio of the SLV-3 and cautioned Kalam about the aero-elastic problems, which had to be avoided, during the flight.

Braun told Kalam, "SLV-3 is a genuine Indian design and you may be having your own troubles, but you should always remember that we don’t just build on successes, we also build on failures." He further said that more hard work was not enough in rocketry, as it was not a sport where mere hard work can fetch honors. Here, one need not have to have a goal but, strategies to achieve it as fast as possible.

SLV was now a religion, a mission and God’s purpose for Kalam, to be on earth. During those days, Kalam played no badminton in the evenings, nor on weekends or holidays. He had no family, no relations, nor any friends outside the SLV circle.

Kalam And Kurup :The Saviors

In 1979, a six-member team was preparing the flight version of a complex second stage control system for static test and evaluation. The team was in count down mode at T-15 minutes. One of the 12 valves failed to respond during the crucial check out sequence. Anxiety drove the members of the team to the test site to look into the problem. Suddenly, the oxidizer tank burst and Red Fuming Nitric Acid (RFNA), oozed out causing severe acid burns to the team members. Kalam, Kurup, and other scientists rushed to Trivandrum Medical College Hospital and begged to have their colleagues admitted, as six beds were not available in the hospital, at that point of time.

Sivaramkrishnan Nair was one of the injured. The first words he spoke after gaining consciousness were the words to express regret over the mishap and assured that he would make up for the slippage in schedules caused by the accident. This event enhanced Kalam’s confidence in his team; a team that can stand like a rock against all odds.

Breaking Of A Dream

On many days, Kalam and his team members skipped the lunch hour, without even realizing that they were hungry. Such a flow was experienced nearing the completion of the project. The SLV-3 dream was finally realized in the middle of 1979. Its first experimental flight was scheduled on August 10, 1979. The 23-meter long, four-stage SLV rocket weighing 17 tons, finally took off elegantly at 0758 hours and immediately started following its programmed trajectory.

Stage I was a smooth transition of perfection to the second stage. They could see their dreams and hopes soaring in the form of SLV-3. Suddenly the spell was broken as the second stage went out of control. The flight was terminated after 317 seconds and the vehicle’s remains, including fourth stage with the payload splashed into the sea. The incident fueled anger and frustration and overall disappointment. He could soon recollect his failure of Nandi, the abandoning RATO, the abortion of the SLV – Diamont fourth stage all like a long buried phoenix rising from its ashes.

Kalam addressed the meeting and Prof. Dhawan, "Sir, even though my friends have technically justified the failure, I take the responsibility for judging the RFNA leak detected during the final phase of countdown as insignificant. As a Mission Director, I should have put the launch on hold and saved the flight if possible. In a similar situation abroad, the Mission Director would have lost his job. I therefore take responsibility for the SLV-3 failure." Kalam was sad, but not in solitude as Dr Brahm Prakash filled him with new confidence. Dr Brahm Prakash taught him the traits and gave him a new perspective.

On July 17, 1980, 30 hours before the launch of the second SLV-3, the media buzzed with mixed reports. Some newspapers recalled the past failures while a few sounded positive about its success.

SLV–3 - Success At Last

On July 18, 1980, at 0803 hours, India’s first Satellite Launch Vehicle, SLV-3, lifted off from SHAR. 600 seconds before the take-off, Kalam noticed the computer displaying data about stage IV giving the required velocity to the Rohini Satellite, carried as payload to enter its orbit. Within next two minutes, Rohini was set into motion in a low earth orbit. Kalam spoke the most important words he ever uttered in his life: "Mission Director calling all stations. Stand by for an important announcement. All stages performed to mission requirements. The fourth stage apogee motor has given the required velocity to put Rohini Satellite into orbit." There were happy cries everywhere. Kalam was lifted on the shoulders by his colleagues and carried in procession.

The entire nation was excited and proud of this indigenous effort. India entered into the small select group of nations, which possessed satellite launch capability. Media carried headlines and special programs. Parliament also congratulated with thumping of desks. It was a culmination of a national dream and the beginning of a very important phase in India’s tryst in Space. The then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi cabled her congratulations. Though Kalam was happy for the success, which eluded him for two decades, he was sad on the other hand, as all the people, his father, brother-in-law Jallaluddin and Dr Sarabhai who inspired him were no longer there to share his success and joy.

Within a month of SLV-3 success, Kalam visited the Nehru Science Center in Mumbai for a day, in response to an invitation to share his experiences with the SLV-3. He had to rush back to Delhi to attend a meeting with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Kalam was hesitant because of his simple clothes, and slippers, and not by any standards of etiquette, a suitable attire, to meet the Prime Minister. But Prof. Dhawan said to Kalam, "You are beautifully clothed in your success."

At a meeting of select 30-members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Mrs. Gandhi spoke about the success of the SLV-3 and lauded their achievement. She asked Kalam to address the gathering. Hesitantly, Kalam responded, "I am indeed honored to be in this great gathering of nation-builders. I only know how to build a rocket system in our country, which would inject a satellite, built in our country, by imparting to it a velocity of 25,000 km per hour."

As Project SLV-3 had been successfully completed, Ved Prakash Sandlas was made the Project Director for the SLV-3 Continuation Project. The development of Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicles (ASLVs) had been on cards, for quite some time. The aim was to enhance the SLV-3 payload capability from 40 kg to 150 kg. M S R Dev was appointed Project Director of ASLV. To reach the sun-synchronous orbit (900 km), a Polar satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) was to be made. The Geo Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) was also envisaged, and Kalam was then appointed the Director, Aerospace Dynamics and Design Group.

Kalam and his team established the SLV-3 solid rocket system and the national requirements of payload delivery vehicles for short and intermediate ranges of 4,000 km. The development of one additional solid booster of 108-m diameter with 36 tons of propellant along with SLV-3 sub systems would meet the Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) requirement above 5,000 km for a 1,000-kg payload. Though, this proposal was never considered, it paved the way for the formulation of the Re-entry Experiment (RER), which later, became Agni - the precursor to the ambitious Indian missile program.

The next SLV-3, SLV-D, took off on May 31, 1981. This time, Kalam saw the flight from the visitor’s gallery. Republic Day, 1981, came up to him as a pleasant surprise. On the evening of January 25, he came to know about the Home Minister’s announcement about the conferment of the Padma Bhushan honor to Kalam, and Padma Vibhushan honor to Prof. Dhawan. Dr Brahma Prakash congratulated him saying, "I feel as if my son has got the award." Kalam was deeply touched by Dr Brahm Prakash’s affection and could not hold on his emotions for a long period. He filled his room with the music of the famed Bismillah Khan’s shehnai. He imagined visiting Rameswaram and hugging his mother, feeling his father’s hands run over his head, Jallaluddin announcing the news to the crowd gathered on Mosque street, Zohara preparing special sweets for him, Fr. Solomon blessing him holding the holy cross and Dr Sarabhai, smiling at him with a sense of achievement.

Kalam’s Padma Bhushan evoked mixed reactions at VSSC. There were a few who shared his happiness, while others felt, that he was being unduly singled out for recognition, a sad but a fact true, in case of every success.

Prof. Ramanna, renowned nuclear scientist, wanted Kalam to work for DRDO, whereas, ISRO was little hesitant to relieve him. In February, 1982, the decision was taken to appoint Kalam as Director, DRDL. Kalam joined DRDL on June 1, 1982. His initial period at DRDL was largely interactive. In order to draw a clear and well-defined missile development program for the production of indigenous missiles, a committee was constituted under Kalam’s chairmanship.

Family Commitments

He and his team members drafted a paper for the perusal of the Cabinet Committee for Political Affairs (CCPA). The estimated expenditure was about Rs. 390 crore, spread over a period of 12 years. Through this fund, Kalam wanted to develop two missiles – (1) a low-level quick reaction Tactical Core Vehicle and (2) a medium range Surface-to-Surface weapon system. They planned to make a surface-to-air medium range weapon system with multi-target handling capability during the second phase. They proposed a third generation anti-tank guided missile to have ‘fire-and-target’ capabilities. Kalam longed to revive his buried dream of a Re-entry Experiment Launch Vehicle (REX). He handed over his proposal to the Defense Minister of India.

While working for hours at a stretch, he forgot that it was his niece Zammela’s wedding at Rameswaram that evening. It was quite impossible to reach Rameswaram the same evening due to lack of transport facilities. A pang of guilt dampened his spirits. How far was it allowed to forget one’s family commitments and obligations ? Zameela was like a daughter to Kalam. The thought of missing her wedding because of professional pre-occupations at Delhi, was really distressing. In a meeting with the then Defense Minister Venkataraman, Dr Arunachalam refferred to Minister about Zameela’s wedding. The Defense Minister arranged for an Air Force helicopter to carry Kalam to Madurai from Madras as soon as he reached there. The Air Force helicopter landed close to the waiting Indian Airlines aircraft as soon as it arrived from Delhi. Thus, Kalam was in Rameswaram in time for Zameela’s wedding. He could bless his brother’s daughter with fatherly love.

The Defense Minister put up the anti-tank guided missile proposal before the Cabinet and saw it through. His recommendations on the proposal were accepted and an unprecedented amount of Rs. 388 crore sanctioned for the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP). The proposed projects were in accordance with the spirit of India’s self-reliance. Thus, the Surface-to-Surface weapon system was shaped as Prithvi (the earth) and the Tactical Core Vehicle was called Trishul (the trident of Lord Shiva). The Surface-to-Air defense system was named Akash (sky) and the anti-tank missile project was called Nag (cobra – the poisonous snake), and Agni (fire) to his long cherished dream of REX. On July 21, 1983, Dr Arunachalam arrived at DRDL and formally launched the IGMDP. After July 18, 1980, the SLV-3 launched Rohini satellite into orbit. This was the second most significant day of Kalam’s career.

In less than four months, 400 scientists began to work on the missile program. The most important task for Kalam was the selection of the Project Directors to lead individual missile projects. He wanted five project directors to train another 25 project directors and team leaders for the future. He found them in form of Col. VS Sundaram of EME Corps, Indian Army to lead Prithvi, Cmde. SR Mohan, Defense R & D, Indian Navy to lead Trishul, RN Agarwal to lead Agni, Prahalada and NR Iyer to lead Akash and Nag. His desire was to be true to his way of life, to uphold science and rocketry in India and to retire with a clear conscience.

On January 3, 1984, evening news of Dr Brahm Prakash’s death came through. It was a great emotional loss for Kalam. Dr Sarabhai was the creator of VSSC and Dr Brahm Prakash, was the executor. Kalam’s association with Dr Prakash was a turning point in Kalam’s life.

India Of His Dreams

On June 26, 1984, the flight test of the first indigenous strap-down Inertial guidance system took place. After installing a make-shift launcher, the modified and extended range Devil missile was fired. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi expressed her desire to personally appraise the progress of the IGMDP. On July 19, 1984, Mrs. Gandhi visited DRDL. Kalam said : "When India carried out its first nuclear explosion for peaceful purposes, we declared ourselves the sixth country in the world to explode a nuclear device. When we launched SLV-3 we were the fifth country to achieve satellite launch capability. When were we going to be the first or second country in the world to achieve a technological feat ?"

While they were working on the action plan emerged from the earlier review, news of Mrs. Gandhi’s assassination broke. For Kalam, death of Mrs. Gandhi was very ominous. Her death was a tremendous loss to the scientific community. Her son Rajiv Gandhi became the new Prime Minister of India. By summer 1985, all the groundwork for building the Missile Technology Research Center at Imarat Kancha had been completed. On August 3, 1985, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi laid the foundation stone of the Research Center Imarat (RCI).

Within a week, Kalam left for the USA with Dr Arunachalam on an invitation from the US Air Force. Roddam Norasimha from National Aeronautical Laboratory and KK Ganpathy of HAL also joined them. After finishing their work at Pentagon, in Washington, they landed at San Francisco on their way to Los Angeles to visit Northrop Corporation. Taking the opportunity, Kalam visited Crystal Cathedral built by his favorite author, Robert Schuller. Here, Kalam prayed to God to help him build a Research Center at the Imarat Kancha, which would be his Crystal Cathedral.

Around 280 young engineers changed the dynamics of DRDL. On September 16, 1985, the first launch of the Missile Program was conducted, when Trishul took off from the test range at SHAR. There were more than 500 scientists working for the Agni. Many organizations were now networked to undertake this huge effort of launching Agni. The Agni mission had two basic orientations of work and workers. Each member was dependent on the others in his team to accomplish his target.

Agni - The Launch Hazards

April 20, 1989 was scheduled to be the Agni launch date. A missile launch involves wide-ranging safety measures to be undertaken with due care on pre and post launch. Three telemetry stations, two radars, one tele-command station and four Electro-optical tracking instruments to monitor the missile trajectory had been deployed. The telemetry station at Car Nicobar and the SHAR radars were also commissioned to track the vehicle. Dynamic surveillance was employed to cover the electrical power that flows from the missile batteries within the vehicle and to control system pressures.

The specially designed automatic checkout system would signal ‘Hold’, if any deviation be noticed either in voltage or in pressure. The flight operations would be rescheduled only if the defect was rectified. The countdown for the launch began at T-36 hours. The countdown from T-7.5 minutes was to be computer controlled. All activities prior to the launch were according to schedule. At the time of launch, people living in nearby villages were asked to move to safer places. The media took up the chance to rake up much controversy. Foreign pressure was exerted through diplomatic channels to abort the flight trial, but the Indian government stood as a rock and staved off any distraction in the launch. Suddenly, when they reached T–14 seconds, the computer signaled ‘Hold’, indicating that one of the instruments was functioning erratically. The defect was immediately rectified. Meanwhile, the down-range station asked for a ‘Hold’. In few other seconds, multiple Holds were necessitated, resulting in irreversible loss in internal power connection. This was sufficient to abort the launch.

Nagaraj and his other team members were in a state of shock and sorrow. Kalam shared his failure of SLV-3, which brought them back to retrieve the sub-systems and re-charged them. The press was once again up in arms and interpreted the postponement of the flight in various ways. A cartoonist showed one Agni scientist explaining that the launch was postponed as press button did not make contact. A shopkeeper returning a product to the salesman saying that like Agni, it would not take off, was showed by cartoonist Sudhir Dar. "There’s no need for any alarm… its a purely peaceful, non-violent missile," said a leader to reporters of The Hindustan Times.

On May 1, 1989, the missile was once again ready for launch. This time also, during the automatic computer check out period at T- 10 seconds, a Hold signal was indicated. A closed inspection displayed that one of the control components, S1-TVC was not working according to the mission requirements. Once again the launch was to be postponed. Keshav, The Hindu among other vernacular and English language newspapers carried a cartoon showing a villager counting some currency notes and commenting to another, "Yes, it’s the compensation for moving away from my hut near the test site – few more postponements and I can build a house of my own". One cartoonist derogated Agni as IDBM as Intermittently Delayed Ballistic Missile, and Amul’s (a national Butter brand) cartoon suggested that Agni should use their butter as fuel.

The entire DRDL – RCI community assembled after working hours on May 8, 1989. Kalam addressed more than 2,000 persons, he said, "I promise you, we will be back after successfully launching Agni before the end of this month. Hundreds of scientists and staff worked continuously and completed the system readiness with acceptance tests in just 10 days. The aircraft took off from Trivandrum with the rectified control system and landed close to ITR on the 11th day. A cyclone threat was looming large. All the work centers were connected through satellite communication and HF links. Meteorological data started flowing in at 10-minute intervals. Finally, the launch was scheduled for May 22, 1989. Dr Arunachalam, Gen. K N Singh and Kalam along with Defense Minister KC Pant were walking on the previous night of launch. Defense Minister asked Kalam, "What would you like me to do to celebrate the Agni success tomorrow?" Kalam replied, "We need 100,000 saplings to plant at RCI." Once again Kalam was buying blessings of Mother Earth for Agni.

Next day, Agni took off at 7:10 hrs. It was a perfect launch. This was one of the greatest moments in Kalam’s life to launch a missile after five years of continuous work at multiple work centers. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi called the Agni launch "a major achievement… though Agni is a reflection of our commitment to the indigenous development of advanced technologies for the nation’s defense. The country is proud of your efforts" – he said to Kalam. President Venkataraman cabled from Simla, "It is a tribute to your dedication, hard work, and talent."

Gary Milhollin, had made a claim in The Wall Street Journal that India had made Agni with the help of West Germany. A denial come from the DLR, who in turn speculated that France had supplied the Agni guidance electronics. American Senator Jeff Bingaman said that Kalam picked up everything needed for Agni during his four-month stay at Wallop’s Island in 1962. Kalam had been to Wallop’s before 25 years and at that time the technology used in Agni did not exist even in the US. Amidst criticism and raised eyebrows from abroad, with Agni, India had reached the stage where it had the option of preventing wars. Agni marked the completion of five years of IGMDP, with a stable deterrent in place.

In September 1989, Kalam was invited by the Maharashtra Academy of Sciences in Bombay to deliver the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Lecture. There he shared his plans of making an indigenous Air-to-Air missile, Astra.

The second flight of Prithvi at the end of September 1988 was also a great success. Prithvi has proved to be the best surface-to-surface missile in the world today. It can carry 1,000 kg of nuclear capable warhead to a distance of 250 km and deliver it within a radius of 50 meters.

Decorated by Padma Vibhushan

On Republic Day 1990, India celebrated the success of its missile program. Kalam was conferred the Padma Vibhushan along with Dr Arunachalam. JC Bhattacharya and RN Agarwal who were also decorated with the Padma Shree. Love and respect from his countrymen gave him immense satisfaction, even more than what the monetary benefits could ever fetch!

Kalam met his school teacher Iyadurai Solomon when he visited Madurai to deliver the convocation address at Kamraj University. Solomon told him : "You have not only reached my goals, Kalam! You have eclipsed them." The next month he had been to Trichi and visited St. Joseph’s College.

The 44th Independence Day of India was celebrated by test firing Akash missile towards the end of 1990. Jadavpur University conferred Kalam the honor of Doctor of Science at a special convocation in the same year. Kalam’s name was referred to along with the legendary Nelson Mandela, who too was honored at the same convocation. Kalam was embarrassed with the idea as his mission of advancing rocketry in India was perhaps nothing when compared with Mandela’s mission of achieving dignity for a great mass of humanity, but there was no difference in the intensity of their passions.

The Five-fold Success

The Missile Council declared 1991 the year of Initiative for DRDL. On the night of January 15, 1991, Gulf War broke out between Iraq and the Allied Forces led by the USA. The successful test firing of Prithvi and Trishul during the course of the war was enough to make an anxious nation relax. On conclusion of the Gulf War with the victory of the technologically superior Allied Forces, over 500 scientists of DRDL and RCI gathered to discuss issues that had emerged. Kalam questioned the assembly: "Was technology or weapon symmetry with other nations feasible, and if so, should it be attempted? …. How to establish effective electronic warfare support? How to make missile development proceed apace with the development of equally necessary systems like the LCA; and what were the key areas where a push would bring progress ?" At the end of the discussion for three hours, the consensus emerged that there was no way to redress asymmetry in military capability except to have the same capability in specific areas as the potential opponent. The scientist vowed to achieve a reduced CEP in the accuracy of Prithvi’s delivery, perfecting the band guidance system for Trishul and realizing all carbon – carbon re-entry control surfaces for Agni by the end of the year and that was successfully done. The same year also witnessed tube-launched Nag flights, and the maneuver of Trishul at seven meters above sea level, at a speed that exceeded three times the speed of sound. Kalam received an honorary degree of Doctor of Science in the same year from the prestigious Indian Institute Of Technology (IIT), Mumbai.

Later Years

On October 15, 1991, Kalam turned 60 and looked forward to retirement. He had planned to open a school for the under privileged children after retirement. Prof. Rama Rao, heading the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, was also interested in partnership to establish the Rao-Kalam school. But they had to postpone their plans as neither of them were relieved from their posts by the Government of India.

It was this period when Kalam started writing about the circumstances and people who made him what he is today. The idea was not merely to pay tribute to some individuals or highlight certain aspects of his life, but he wanted to say that no one, however poor, underprivileged or small, need feel disheartened about his/her life. Problems are a part of life and suffering is the essence of success. He writes: "I will not be presumptuous enough to say that my life can be a role model for anybody; but some poor child living in an obscure place, in an underprivileged social setting may find a little solace in the way my destiny has been shaped. It could perhaps help such children liberate themselves from the bondage of their illusory backwardness and hopelessness. Irrespective of where they are right now, they should be aware that God is with them and when He is with them, who can be against them ?"

Kalam says that the biggest success of IGMDP is not that in specific time, India acquired the capability of making fine state-of-the-art missile systems but, through it, some superb teams of scientists and engineers have been created. He has achieved in creating an environment for teams of young people to put their heart and soul into their missions. Kalam attempted to add the natural law of Latency by laying the foundation of the Indian Guided Missile Program to create a completely indigenous variety of technology management.

HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOR

The year 1997 Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor was awarded to Kalam, by the then President of India Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma. This is a rare honor in recognition of his invaluable contribution, leading the country in the 21st century, with pride and humility. The country has done all it could but the man - has and wants a long way to go. He is determined to ignite the minds of children from the ninth to the twelfth grades as he feels the need to harness and nurture their budding potential. This now is the new pasture in his life which will surely meet 'soaring and roaring' success. He has a 5 - point vision for India and that is;
1. India should produce 350,000,000 tons of food grains.
2. Optimize energy production and satisfy all requirements to the maximum level.
3. Provide excellent medical and educational facilities.
4. To utilize information technology for all round development.
5. To take gigantic strides in core sectors like defense, Nuclear and Space Technologies.

This is the story of the period ending with the first Agni launch, and the recieving of the Bharat Ratna award. But life will still go on, for India will make great strides in all fields. Kalam, the son of Jainulabdeen - who lived for over a hundred years on Mosque street in Rameswaram island; a boy who sold newspapers to help his brother; a pupil trained by Sivasubramania Iyer and Iyadurai Solomon; a student taught by teachers like Pandalai; an engineer spotted by MGK Menon and groomed by legendary Dr Sarabhai; a scientist tested by failures and setbacks; a leader supported by a large team of brilliant and dedicated professionals.

This biography would end with Kalam, as he has no inheritance in the worldly sense – no family of his own. He writes: "I do not wish to set myself as an example to others, but I believe that a few souls may draw inspiration and come to balance that ultimate satisfaction which can only be found in the life of the spirit. God’s providence is your inheritance. The bloodline of my great-grandfather Avul, my grandfather Pakir, and my father Jainulabdeen may end with Abdul Kalam, but this grace will never end, for it is Eternal."

Personal Moments

Kalam’s brother-in-law and mentor, a childhood friend, a companion of life in its ups and downs, Ahmed Jallaluddin passed away. For a few minutes, Kalam became immobilized, could not think, feel or speak anything. Along with Jallaluddin – something within him also died. He felt as if thrown into a whirlpool of time and space. Kalam, traveling overnight, arrived at Rameswaram to help Zohara, her 4-year-old son Mehboob and his 100-year old father. Kalam felt himself drowning in a sort of anxious agitation. His involvement in SLV gradually, helped him overcome that period of loss and mourning.

During those days he had a wonderful friend, YS Rajan from the ISRO headquarters. This friendship taught him to embrace turners, fitters, electricians and drivers with equal warmth as to scientists, engineers, contractors and bureaucrats. Now, when press calls Kalam ‘welder of people’ – Kalam attributes this to Rajan.

In 1976, his father passed away. He was not keeping well for quite some time due to his old age. He died at 102. The death of Jallaluddin had also affected his health and spirit. His mother could not live on this earth without Jainulabdeen, his father.

The SLV-3 Apogee rocket, developed as a common upper stage with Diamont, scheduled to be flight tested in France, was plagued by a series of problems. As he was about to leave for France to sort them out, he was informed about his mother's sad demise. Instead of France, he rushed to Rameswaram. Kalam went to a mosque after performing last rites of his mother. He knew that his mother could not live without love and care of her husband and therefore, followed her husband. Nobody spoke, yet he could hear loud and clear words within him : "They carried out the task I designed for them with great care, dedication and honesty and came back to me. Why are you mourning their day of accomplishment? Concentrate on the assignments that live before you and proclaim my glory through your deeds!"