ISRO: India’s Pride in Space

India has a long and rich history of scientific achievements, from the ancient times of Aryabhata and Brahmagupta to the modern era of Ramanujan and Bose. Among the many fields of science that India has contributed to, one of the most prominent and exciting is space science. India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is one of the world’s leading space agencies, with a record of remarkable accomplishments and ambitious goals.

What is ISRO?

ISRO is the national space agency of India, established in 1969 by the visionary scientist Dr. Vikram Sarabhai. ISRO operates as the primary research and development arm of the Department of Space (DoS), which is directly overseen by the Prime Minister of India, while the Chairman of ISRO also acts as the executive of DoS. ISRO’s mission is to harness space technology for national development, while pursuing space science research and planetary exploration.

ISRO has a network of centres across India, each with a specific function and expertise. Some of the major centres are:

• Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: The main centre for design and development of launch vehicles and associated technologies.
• Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh: The main launch base for ISRO’s rockets and satellites.
• U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Bengaluru, Karnataka: The main centre for design and development of satellites and related systems.
• Space Applications Centre (SAC) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat: The main centre for development and operation of applications using remote sensing, communication and navigation satellites.
• National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) in Hyderabad, Telangana: The main centre for acquisition, processing and dissemination of remote sensing data from satellites.
• ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru, Karnataka: The main centre for providing telemetry, tracking and command support to ISRO’s satellites and launch vehicles.
• ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: The main centre for development and production of inertial systems and sensors for launch vehicles and satellites.
• Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: The main centre for development and production of liquid propulsion systems for launch vehicles and satellites.
• ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu: The main centre for testing and evaluation of propulsion systems and components for launch vehicles and satellites.

What are ISRO’s achievements?

ISRO has achieved many milestones in the field of space science and technology, making India one of the leading space-faring nations in the world. Some of the notable achievements are:

• Launching India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, in 1975 with the help of the Soviet Union³.
• Developing India’s first indigenous launch vehicle, SLV-3, and launching the Rohini satellite in 1980, making India the seventh country to have orbital launch capability.
• Developing the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), a versatile and reliable rocket that can launch multiple satellites into various orbits, and launching the first operational PSLV mission in 1994.
• Developing the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), a powerful rocket that can launch heavy satellites into geostationary orbit, and launching the first operational GSLV mission in 2004.
• Developing the GSLV Mark III, the heaviest and most advanced rocket in ISRO’s arsenal, capable of launching 4-tonne class satellites into geostationary orbit, and launching the first developmental GSLV Mark III mission in 2014.
• Launching the Chandrayaan-1 mission in 2008, India’s first lunar orbiter, which made several scientific discoveries, including the presence of water molecules on the lunar surface.
• Launching the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) in 2013, India’s first interplanetary mission, which successfully entered the orbit of Mars in 2014, making India the first country to do so in its maiden attempt and the fourth country overall.
• Launching the Astrosat mission in 2015, India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory, which can observe celestial objects in ultraviolet, visible, X-ray and gamma-ray wavelengths.
• Launching the Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019, India’s second lunar mission, which consisted of an orbiter, a lander and a rover, and attempted to soft-land on the lunar south pole, a feat that has not been achieved by any country yet.
• Launching the Cartosat-3 mission in 2019, which carried the most advanced earth observation satellite of ISRO, with a resolution of 0.25 metres, the highest among civilian satellites in the world.
• Launching the RISAT-2BR1 mission in 2019, which carried a radar imaging satellite that can provide all-weather, day-and-night surveillance of the earth’s surface.
• Launching the GSAT-30 mission in 2020, which carried a communication satellite that can provide high-quality television, telecommunication and broadcasting services.
• Launching the EOS-01 mission in 2020, which carried an earth observation satellite that can provide high-resolution imagery for various applications such as agriculture, forestry, urban planning and disaster management.
• Launching the CMS-01 mission in 2020, which carried a communication satellite that can provide extended coverage for mobile communication services.

What are ISRO’s future plans?

ISRO has a vision of expanding India’s presence and capabilities in space, with several ambitious and challenging missions planned for the future. Some of the upcoming missions are:

• Gaganyaan: India’s first manned space mission, which aims to send three Indian astronauts to low earth orbit for seven days by 2022, as part of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme (IHSP).
• Aditya-L1: India’s first solar mission, which aims to study the sun’s corona, photosphere and chromosphere from a halo orbit around the Lagrangian point L1, about 1.5 million kilometres from the earth, by 2022.
• Chandrayaan-3: India’s third lunar mission, which aims to retry the soft-landing on the lunar south pole with a lander and a rover, by 2022.
• Mangalyaan-2: India’s second Mars mission, which aims to explore the surface and atmosphere of Mars with an orbiter, a lander and a rover, by 2024.
• Shukrayaan-1: India’s first Venus mission, which aims to study the atmosphere and surface of Venus with an orbiter, by 2025.
• NISAR: A joint mission with NASA, which aims to launch a dual-frequency synthetic aperture radar satellite that can measure changes in the earth’s surface, such as earthquakes, landslides, volcanoes, glaciers and sea level, by 2023.
• XPoSat: A mission to launch a polarimetry satellite that can study the polarisation of cosmic X-ray sources, such as pulsars, black holes and neutron stars, by 2022.
• Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV): A new launch vehicle that can launch small satellites up to 500 kg into low earth orbit, with a low cost and quick turnaround time, by 2021.
• Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV): A technology demonstrator that can test the feasibility of a reusable launch vehicle that can launch payloads into orbit and return to earth, reducing the cost of access to space, by 2022.
• Scramjet Engine: A technology demonstrator that can test the performance of a supersonic combustion ramjet engine that can enable hypersonic flight, by 2021.

Why is ISRO important for India?

ISRO is not only a source of national pride and inspiration for India, but also a key driver of socio-economic development and strategic advantage. ISRO’s satellites and launch vehicles have enabled India to:

• Enhance communication and connectivity across the country, especially in remote and rural areas, through tele-education, tele-medicine, tele-banking, tele-farming and e-governance services.
• Improve weather forecasting, disaster management, natural resource management, urban planning, environmental monitoring, agricultural productivity, fisheries, forestry and wildlife conservation, through remote sensing and earth observation satellites.
• Strengthen national security and defence, through reconnaissance, surveillance, navigation and communication satellites.
• Advance scientific knowledge and innovation, through space exploration and research missions.
• Foster international cooperation and goodwill, through collaborative projects and sharing of data and services with other countries and organisations.

ISRO is a symbol of India’s scientific prowess, technological excellence and self-reliance in space. ISRO is also a testament to India’s vision of using space for peaceful purposes and for the benefit of humanity. ISRO is truly India’s pride in space. 🚀

¹: ISRO - Wikipedia ²: Indian Space Research Organisation ³: [Aryabhata (satellite) - Wikipedia] : [SLV - Wikipedia]