India - 2 rupees
India - 2 rupees - 1976-1997 - P79
The back of this Indian 2 rupees note from 1976 shows the Aryabhata satellite. It was India's first satellite and it was launched by the Soviet Union on 19 April 1975. It was built to conduct experiments in X-ray astronomy, aeronomics, and solar physics. The spacecraft was a 26-sided polygon 1.4 m in diameter. All faces (except the top and bottom) were covered with solar cells. A power failure halted experiments after 4 days in orbit. All signals from the spacecraft were lost after 5 days of operation. The satellite reentered the Earth's atmosphere on 11 February 1992.
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