Important Milestones in the Indian Space Program

Phase I: 1960-70 (Incipient Stage)

 Dr. Vikram Sarabhai is regarded as a scientific visionary as well as the

founding father of the Indian space programme.
 He recognized the potential of satellites after the launch of Sputnik in
1957. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, who
considered scientific advancement as an important component of
India’s future, placed space research under the jurisdiction of the
Department of Atomic Energy in 1961.
 Homi Bhabha, the father of India’s atomic programme, then founded
the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) in
1962, with Dr. Sarabhai as Chairman.
 The Indian space programme began establishing itself with the launch
of sounding rockets in 1962, which was aided by India’s geographical
proximity to the equator.
 Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) was built near
Thiruvananthapuram in south Kerala.
 India developed an indigenous technology of sounding rockets called
the Rohini Family of sounding rockets.
 The India Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was established in
1969, and the Department of Space was established in 1972.

Phase II: 1970-80

 Sarabhai had participated in an early NASA study on the viability of

employing satellites for uses as diverse as direct television
broadcasting.
 India began developing satellite technology in anticipation of future
remote sensing and communication requirements.
 India’s first venture into space occurred in 1975, with the launch of
their satellite Aryabhata by a Soviet launcher.
 By 1979, the SLV was ready to launch from the Sriharikota Rocket
Launching Station, a newly created second launch site (SRLS).
 The first launch in 1979 failed due to a control malfunction in the
second stage. This problem had been solved by 1980.
 The first indigenous satellite launched by India was called Rohini.
Phase III: 1980-90

 Following the success of the SLV, ISRO was eager to begin work on a
satellite launch vehicle capable of placing a truly useful satellite into
polar orbit.
 In 1987, the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) was tested,
but the launch failed. After modest adjustments, another launch
attempt was made in 1988, which also failed.

Phase IV: 1990-2000

 It was not until 1992 that the first successful launch of the ASLV took
place.
 Since its first successful launch in 1994, the PSLV has become the
workhorse launch vehicle, launching both remote sensing and
communications satellites into orbit, establishing the world’s largest
cluster, and giving unique data to Indian industry and agriculture.

Developments after 2000

 In 2001, the first development flight of the GSLV took place.
 As the first attempt at exploring the solar system, India pursued a
mission to send unmanned probes to the moon in 2008 namely
Chandrayaan.
 ISRO has entered the lucrative industry of launching foreign payloads
from Indian soil using its rockets.
 After 2010, ISRO embarked on the following programmes: Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle (GSLV), and next-generation GSLV Mark-III launch vehicle
missions are part of the launch vehicle development programme.
 The Earth Observation programme includes cutting-edge Indian
remote sensing (IRS) satellites such as Resourcesat, Cartosat,
Oceansat, Radar Imaging Satellite, Geo-Imaging Satellite, and
weather/climate satellites such as INSAT-3DR missions.
 The satellite navigation programme consists of a constellation of
seven Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) satellites
and an associated ground segment designed to deliver accurate
positional and timing information
India’s Early Satellites
Aryabhata

 On April 19, 1975, India entered the space age by launching their first-ever satellite,
the Aryabhata. Built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to gain
experience in building and operating a satellite in space, it was actually launched by
the Soviet Union. Aryabhata was built to conduct experiments in X-ray astronomy,
aeronomics, and solar physics.

Bhaskara-1

 The First Experimental Remote Sensing Satellite built in India. The onboard TV
camera imageries were used in the field of Hydrology and Forestry. Rich scientific
data sent by Satellite Microwave Radiometer (SAMIR) was used for oceanographic
studies.

Rohini

 Rohini Satellite RS-1 was a 35 kg experimental spin stabilized satellite designed with
a power handling capability of 16W. It was successfully launched onboard SLV-3
from Sriharikota Range (SHAR) Centre on July 18, 1980.

Apple

 The Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment (APPLE) was ISRO’s first indigenous,
experimental communication satellite. It was launched into GTO (Geosynchronous
Transfer Orbit) by the third development flight of ESA’a Ariane vehicle from Kourou
on June 19, 1981.

Launch Vehicle
A launch vehicle is a rocket-powered vehicle that transports a spacecraft beyond the Earth’s
atmosphere, either into orbit around the Earth or to another destination in outer space.

Important Missions of ISRO

 Aryabhata Satellite

o Aryabhata was India’s first satellite, which was
completely designed and fabricated indigenously and
launched by a Soviet Kosmos-3M rocket from
Kapustin Yar in 1975.
o Objectives: The satellite was built for conducting
experiments in X-ray astronomy,
aeronomics, and solar physics.

 Chandrayaan-1: The mission aimed at orbiting around the

Moon at a height of 100 km from the lunar surface for chemical,
mineralogical, and photo-geologic mapping of the Moon.

 Chandrayaan-2: The mission consisted of an Orbiter, a

Lander, and a Rover to explore the unexplored South Pole of
the Moon.
o The objectives of its study included topography,
seismography, mineral identification and distribution,
surface chemical composition, thermo-physical
characteristics of lunar soil, and composition of the lunar
atmosphere.
o The orbiter was successfully inserted into the orbit while
the Vikram lander could not make a soft landing, leading
to its failure.

 Chandrayaan-3: It was a follow-up mission to Chandrayaan-2

and consisted of a lander and a rover. The lander and rover
were successfully deployed, making India the fourth country to
make a soft landing on the moon.
 Payloads:
o Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment
(ChaSTE): For measuring the thermal conductivity and
temperature;
o Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA): For
measuring the seismicity around the landing site;
o Langmuir Probe (LP): For estimating the plasma density
and its variations.
o Passive Laser Retroreflector Array: Built by NASA, it
would be used for lunar laser ranging studies.
o Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Laser
Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS): For checking
elemental composition in the vicinity of the landing site.

 Mangalyaan Mission
o Known officially as the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM),
the aim of the mission was to reach Mars orbit and
to study Martian surface features, morphology,
mineralogy, and Martian atmosphere.
o With the success of the mission, ISRO became
the fourth space agency to successfully send a
spacecraft to Mars orbit.