Official Cover Art • Rupa Publications • Dec 2026
From Aryabhata to Gaganyaan, Runway to the Stars traces six decades of Indian spaceflight through the scientists, dreamers, and near-misses that built it — and asks what it will take to reach further than ever before.
Runway to the Stars follows the pioneering scientists who built a world-class space programme from church workshops and sheer conviction, the astronaut who carried a nation’s dreams into orbit, and the young engineers now designing missions to the Moon, Mars, and the Bharatiya Antariksh Station.
Written for every curious mind who has ever looked up into the night sky and wondered what it takes to leave Earth, the book seamlessly bridges the complex physics of orbital flight with the unforgettable human triumph of Indian exploration.
From the foundational laws of orbital mechanics to the daily life inside a space station, explore the complete chapter roadmap.
A breathtaking journey into the cosmos, the spark of human curiosity, the transition from atmospheric flight to rocket propulsion, and how humanity pushed beyond Earth's threshold.
How the earliest test pilots were selected and rigorously prepared, and what biological traits, psychological resilience, and temperament it demands to become a space traveller today.
The division of responsibility in microgravity: mission commanders, pilots, payload specialists, flight engineers, and the scientists operating life-support systems in zero-G.
What everyday routine looks like aboard the Bharatiya Antariksh Station: sleeping strapped to bulkheads, dining on dehydrated curries, exercising to prevent bone loss, and living in freefall.
Interplanetary transit explained: orbital transfer trajectories, launch windows, cosmic radiation shielding, and the immense engineering hurdles of deep-space voyages.
The extreme preparation regimen: multi-axis centrifuge runs, neutral buoyancy underwater spacewalk simulations, survival training in sub-zero wilderness, and mission simulators.
A practical career playbook for the next generation: academic paths in STEM & STEAM, flight training, aerospace engineering, robotics, and the burgeoning Indian space startup ecosystem.
The untold history of ISRO: early sounding rockets launched from Thumba, pioneering indigenous cryogenic engines, overcoming technology embargoes, and the hard-fought road to Gaganyaan.
The horizon beyond India's maiden crewed launch: public-private space partnerships, satellite constellations, space mining, orbital tourism, and the new jobs of the cosmic economy.
Orbital velocity, TLI burns, atmospheric re-entry heat shields, and lunar orbital mechanics demystified in crisp, vivid storytelling inspired by the Artemis II and Chandrayaan missions.
From Arthur C. Clarke to reality: warp drives, solar sails, space elevators, terraforming martian soil, and technologies moving from science fiction into scientific laboratories.
Astonishing cosmic trivia: what space actually smells like, weird sensory illusions in orbit, space food taste-tests, and eccentric historical records from 60 years of human spaceflights.
An interactive cosmic challenge testing your knowledge of astronauts, interplanetary spacecraft, legendary ISRO missions, rocket physics, planets, and space history.
“When I was asked from Earth how India looked from space, I said ‘Saare Jahan Se Achha’. Four decades later, watching India prepare its own astronauts for Gaganyaan fills me with immense pride. Runway to the Stars captures the true essence of that odyssey — not just as history, but as an inspirational flight manual for every young Indian who dares to look up and dream of touching the stars.”
An early sneak peek into Chapter One ahead of the December 2026 nationwide release.
On the night of 4 October 1957, a radio operator in a small Indian observatory picked up a signal no one had heard before — a steady, mechanical beep, repeating every fraction of a second, tracing an arc across a sky that had not changed in living memory.
It was Sputnik. And for a country not yet a decade into its own hard-won independence, still deciding what kind of nation it wanted to become, that faint metallic beep asked a question nobody had thought to ask out loud: could India build one too?
This book is an attempt to answer that question — not through dry bureaucratic statistics, but through the remarkable men and women who spent sixty years answering it anyway, one rocket engine at a time...
“An exhilarating, meticulously researched celebration of India’s aerospace journey. Yuri Suri brings the discipline of aviation and the wonder of spaceflight into every single page.”
“A deeply compelling tribute to the dreamers and engineers who built India’s space programme. It will inspire a million young minds to reach beyond horizons.”
“Written with infectious curiosity and literary flair. Yuri Suri turns complex rocket science into a thrilling, page-turning human adventure.”
Pre-order your paperback copy today ahead of the December 2026 release. Ships nationwide.
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Runway to the Stars publishes in December 2026 through Rupa Publications. All pre-orders placed ahead of release will be dispatched on day one with priority delivery.
Absolutely! While written to engage readers of any age, it has been specially crafted to ignite interest among school students, college undergraduates, and young space aspirants with clear illustrations, conversational language, and exciting real-world insights.
The primary initial launch is the illustrated Paperback Collector edition. Digital e-book (Amazon Kindle) and narrated audiobook formats will be announced shortly following the physical release.
A limited batch of signed collector's editions by Yuri Suri will be made available to early pre-order subscribers. Sign up via the Reserve form to ensure priority notification.
Yes! Schools, colleges, libraries, and science clubs interested in bulk academic copies or author interaction sessions can connect directly through our Contact Page.
Join thousands of young dreamers, educators, and future astronauts. Reserve your copy of Runway to the Stars ahead of the December 2026 nationwide release.
