A cycle and a church were used for India's 1st rocket launch

The rocket for India's first ever rocket launch was carried in parts on a bicycle to the launch site, a church in Thiruvananthapuram in 1963. The launch sent NASA-made Nike-Apache rocket to space and led to the foundation of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) by Vikram Sarabhai on August 15, 1969. The church was later renamed Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.