The launching of India's first satellite 'Aryabhata', named after the famous Indian astronomer and mathematician of the fifth century is a historic occasion and a milestone in our country's space research programme.

The diamond-shaped satellite has been designed and built by the Indian Space Research Organisation  (ISRO)  at its Indian Scientific Satellite Project in Bangalore. This 26-faced blue and violet spacecraft is 147 ems. in diameter and 116 ems. high.

The satellite has been launched from a Soviet cosmodrome. Its orbit is 500 kms. above the earth circling it once in every 90 minutes.  The satellite carries instruments to conduct experiments on X-ray astronomy, solar neutron and Gamma rays, and aeronomy. The data obtained from these three experiments will bring in new information on outer space, the sun and the earth's  atmosphere.

The data collected from the experiments are temporarily stored in tape-recorders on board and are  transmitted  in code to the ground receiving stations located at ISRO's Sriharikota Range and a  similar one near Moscow every time the satellite passes  over these stations.

On this historic occasion the Posts & Telegraphs Department feels privileged to bring out a special postage stamp.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India