Visit to Space Museum, VSSC Trivandrum
S pace Museum is Situated near the northern boundary of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), a few metres from the coastline, St Mary Magdalene Church, lined with high-tech artefacts and visuals, speak the tell tales on the birth of Indian Space Programme. It was in this church that the first rocket systems were assembled and integrated in 1962. The Bishop House, forming part of the church, functioned at that time as the office of the Director, TERLS. As the scientific activities gathered momentum, new projects came up, which necessitated the construction of new buildings. The first in the line were the Control Centre and then the R&D complex on the Veli Hills, all of which relegated the church building into the background. But the good old church refused to go into oblivion! It sprang back to life with renewed vigour. It was converted into a photographic facility, this time as the official chronicler of the Indian Space Programme. In 1985, the church was con...