Up Above The World So High, With A Message For All Of Us

1979.

A very eminent Indian scientist was getting ready to address a press conference. He was the chairman of ISRO at that time and he was attending this conference without his project director. He had specifically asked the project director not to attend the conference because just the day before, ISRO’s attempt to launch a satellite had failed, the satellite ended up in the Bay of Bengal. The ISRO chairman addressed the journalists and said ““We failed! But I have very strong trust in my team, and I believe that next time we will succeed”. The project director, who was watching the conference on television was surprised – the chairman had taken all the blame and did not even mention the project director’s name in the press conference!!

A year later, in 1980, the same team successfully launched the satellite. This time the same ISRO chairman told the project director to address the journalists alone, choosing to watch the press conference from his office. The chairman’s name was Dr Satish Dhawan and his project director was none other than Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

It is but apt that the latest mission from ISRO was launched from its centre named after the legendary Dr Satish Dhawan. A man who led many space programmes in the 1970’s laying the foundation from which ISRO has grown from strength to strength.

When the current chairman of ISRO explained the Chandrayan-3 mission, one of the key words he used to describe Chandrayan-3 was that it was a “failure-based design”. It is indeed an interesting choice of words. About 4 years ago, India had watched as ISRO’s attempt to make a soft landing on the moon failed. The images of the then ISRO chairman in tears and the entire group of scientists sitting in the command centre silently was splashed across our living rooms.

It is difficult to rise above such a failure. However, the scientists at ISRO give us a very valuable lesson. They actually followed what we all have heard in many seminars and motivational talks – learn from your failures. And Chandrayan-3, as the ISRO chairman rightly said, is a result of the learnings that he and his team did from the failure in 2019 – designed based on failure, to avoid failure.

From time to time, we all look for inspiration. We all face failures from time to time. In my honest opinion, we don’t have to look far to get inspired and to overcome such failures. These scientists and technicians at ISRO are actually a great source of inspiration. The determination and courage with which they rose from the failure four years ago to build an even better, more advanced version is something we all can be proud of.

Most of the scientific success stories have similar inspiring stories. Scientists put in years of hard work and many a times face failures. Take the case of Alexander Graham Bell, who had to struggle and face failures for more than 10 years before he could implement his idea of telephone. And we have the Wright brothers, who tried to create a flying machine only to have their plane crash numerous times, until in 1903 they had their prototype fly for 10 seconds. Or our own missile man, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam who was rejected in the interview to become a pilot!!!

Scientists and innovators indeed are a brave, stubborn, and extremely focused group. I should know, I live with one. ??

As the Chandrayan-3 travels up above in the skies, reaching for the moon, let’s all take a moment to admire the men and women who have lived up to the words – “If you fail never give up, because FAIL means – First Attempt In Learning”.