India’s Space Odyssey: Discovery Plus’ documentary maps the nation’s eventful journey to Moon and Mars

India’s Space Odyssey: India is growing leaps and bounds in the space sector now, functioning independently and taking up missions that would place it among elite countries in terms of space exploration. However, the journey of India in this area has not been an easy one. It is this challenging journey that has been put together to make India’s Space Odyssey – Discovery Plus’ original documentary. The Hindi version of the documentary is narrated by renowned actor R Madhavan, according to a report in IE. Experts from ISRO, including former chairman Dr G Madhavan Nair, are also featured in the documentary, along with space historians as well as researchers.

The documentary looks at the 60-year journey of the space sector in India, looking at the days and ways of Vikram Sarabhai and Homi Jehangir Bhabha and then tracing the way to the current status of the country as a global influential presence in the sector.

It looks at Rakesh Sharma being the first India to stand on Moon in 1984, and looks back at his conversation with then PM Indira Gandhi, during which the latter asked the astronaut about how India looks from the Moon, to which the astronaut replied, “Saare jahan se achha.” The documentary, on the other hand, also looks at the Chandrayaan-2 mission of 2019 and how it failed when the Vikram Lander went out of radar mere minutes before its touchdown, and crash landed instead. India’s Space Odyssey looks at the heartbreak that followed when the landing failed to go as per plan. The documentary, the report added, also comments on the conspiracy theories, volatile political scenarios as well as human interest stories.

The documentary is a must-watch for all Indians as it lays down how the country has a really unique space programme, where necessity has really been the mother of invention. Despite limited resources, India overcame the challenges to make a place for itself in the space sector with notable missions like Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan, the documentary notes. As a conclusion, the documentary gives viewers a glimpse of the future of the space sector and India’s growing role in it.