Dear Friends,

Here is an extract of the experience of Dr APJ Kalam during his earlier days which speaks about his brush with failure and more towards his success later on. A motivational and inspirational read indeed..

In 1979, August 17th, we were ready for launch of the satellite launch vehicle with 44 sub-systems and thousands of components. It was built in Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, and at that time Prof. Satish Dhawan was the Chairman of the Atomic Energy and Space
Commission and also of the Space Centre. He gave me the task in 1973 to built the satellite launch vehicle to launch a satellite in to the orbit.

In 1979, we were ready, thousands of engineers, 10,000 of workers and staff we all worked together. Then we moved that vehicle from Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre to the now Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Shriharikotta. So the launch vehicle was on the launch pad and the day 17th August 1979, and I was the Mission Director, Project Director and we all were in the control centre and the computer takes over at T-8 minutes. Because it was very difficult for me as a mission director to check hundreds of parameters so we hand over the whole launch of the rocket system to the computer. So at T-8 minutes, I handed over to the computer for the launch on 17th August 1979.

Thousands of people are waiting at the launch mission centres and they are working throughout the country and some out range centre, at exactly T-8 minutes computer took over. And at T-4 minutes computer put a hold. It said don't launch. At that time the whole rocket system was alive. Every explosive system, propellant system, electronic system, all are on, and ready of launch and computer says don't launch, at T-4 minutes. Then immediately computer printout comes out. There is some problem in the second stage control system; there is a leakage, so you don't launch. Behind me there are a number of experts; six-seven experts with 10 to 20 years experience. And I turn to them and they have their computers to find out, what happened and they tell me within a minute, they say there is problem in second stage control system and that we cannot launch; computers say don't launch. But we believe as experts, the ignitors i.e. oxidizers is sufficiently more there and even through there is a leakage in system you can launch. They asked me to launch. That is I can say to the computer to shut off the computer. I can manually launch the rocket system. I discussed with my experts. I believed in them. I agreed with them. I am responsible for it. I immediately put the rocket in the manual mode. So rocket took off. 100 seconds. Beautiful launch. And rocket first stage did its job. It's a four-stage rocket system, and then second stage, within a second it goes into a spin. That means it should be steady, it is a controlled system by guided system. But it was going into a spin. I knew I lost the rocket system; within few seconds instead of putting the satellite in the orbit, the whole system went in the Bay of Bengal. So it was a
failure.

And then, how do you handle a failure? It is very important, for entrepreneurs. Life is not so simple. We have to handle failures with a stout heart. My Chairman, i.e. Prof. Satish Dhawan, at exactly 6.30 PM I was very tired of continuously working; he came to my room and asked me to join him for a press conference. On that day, in the morning there is a press conference. Hundreds of press reporters, media people have assembled. Prof. Dhawan told me I am going to handle the press conference, you are going to come with me. He took me there. There was the press, national press, international press. They asked a lot of questions, how can you put 20 crores in Bay of Bengal, one guy asked? And like that so many serious questions, after all people will ask questions, it is the people's money. Prof. Dhawan said, 'Yes, we had a failure'. First time we have launched. We have gained lot of system. And definitely we will succeed. And I will give all the support to my technologists, I will give all the support to my scientists. We will succeed in a year's time, he said. Friends did you observe what happened there? I am the Mission Director, I am the Project Director, I have failed the mission. With me five thousand people have worked. But Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, takes the responsibility of the failure. He completely switched my failure to his failure. This is the leadership quality.

Exactly after one year, 18th July 1980 we go to the launch pad. And countdown starts. At T-8 minutes I handover to the computer. Computer checks out. It initiates the rocket system. First stage gives the required velocity. Second stage gives the required velocity. Third stage gives the required velocity. And, fourth stage gives the escape velocity to put the satellite in the orbit. I can see the performance in front of me, I took the mike and I announce to all at the station. "Here is your Mission Director, the satellite is in orbit
and we congratulate you." I told them.

Now that's not the important thing, that's one of the important things that happened, but after thirty minutes, Prof. Satish Dhavan called me and asked me to go to the press conference. You conduct the press conference, he said. Can you see the significance? Failure he took it and success he gave me and to my team. That is a great lesson, it's a great lesson.

Regards
Aladin