Space Astronomy at TIFR: From Balloons to Satellites

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) has a very long tradition of conducting space astronomy experiments. Within a few years of the discovery of the first non-solar X-ray source in 1962, TIFR leveraged its expertise in balloon technology to make significant contributions to balloon-borne hard X-ray astronomy. This initial enthusiasm led to extremely divergent all-round efforts in space astronomy: balloon-borne X-ray and infrared experiments, rocket and satellite-based X-ray experiments and a host of other new initiatives. In the early eighties, however, TIFR could not keep up with the torrent of results coming from the highly sophisticated satellite experiments from around the world but kept the flag flying by continuing research in a few low-key experiments. These efforts culminated in the landmark project, AstroSat, the first multi-wavelength observatory from India, with TIFR playing a pivotal role in it. In this article, I will present a highly personalised and anecdotal sketch of these exciting developments.