Using what could be described as a space technology, the Olympics torch was lit atop Mount Everest- What makes it special? The sub-zero temperatures and lack of oxygen at high altitudes make it difficult to burn a flame atop snow-clad mountains. Beijing has been gearing up to host the world's premiere event of sports and atheletics. many 5 star hotels , fly overs and structures have been sprouting to the Olympics in China thanks to meticulous planning for more than 8 years now.

     A olympic torch starts its jouney from Athens the origin of the event- travels through several countries relayed by sports personalities and dignitaries  specially chosen for the pre-olympic run. All ok, as the torch burns all the way through to Beijing enoute several countries, can the torch survive on Himalayas?  Even a benign weather with bright sunshine can turn into a shower of hail-stones any time without notice, with sparse oxygen and freezing temperatures  playing  havoc. 

     The China's Aerospace Science and industry corporation set to work on this.  The rocket motor burning in thin air was taken as a model.  A pressure retaining valve was installed in the olympics torch to enable it to withstand 65 km per hour winds, around 6 cms of rain an hour and temperatures of minus 40 degree C.  the flame's fuel charge has been made propane departing from the practice of practice of propane-butane mix and proplyne-butane mix of earlier olympics-used fuel. Nothing except carbon di oxide and water remain after burning, thus eliminating pollution.

     A climbing team of Tibetans and Chinese set off from the base camp at 3.00 a.m. of thursday morning and six hours later  scaled the the Mount Everest 8848 metres high , telecast live by the state TV lit the torch and held out chinese and olympics flags.  The "One world, one dream"- the olymipcs slogan was heard on the Mount everest summing up the heroic deeds of the climbers displaying a space-technology spin-off.

     Hail, space-technology, hail olympics spirit!

    How about this olympics count down?

    Kandasamy Mohan