History of ISRO Indian Space Research Organisation, 1969

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INTRODUCTION OF ISRO

ISRO or Indian Space Research Organisation is a space agency of India founded in 1969 by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai to develop an independent space program for India. It is one of the six largest space agencies in world along with NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), ESA (European Space Agency), Roscosmos (Russian Federal Space Agency), CNSA (China National Space Administration), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). ISRO currently focuses on the development of critical technologies towards the realisation of a vehicle – integrated scramjet engine called the Hypersonic Air Breathing Vehicle with Airframe integrated system (HAVA).

FORMATION OF ISRO

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was formed replacing the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR). INSCOPAR was formed by then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962, which was led by Vikram Sarabhai. For this reasons Vikram Sarabhai regarded as the father of Indian space program. During 1975-76, Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) was conducted. It was hailed as the largest sociological experiment in the world. During this phase, the first Indian spacecraft ‘ARYABHATA’ was developed and launched using a Soviet launcher.

KEY ACHIVEMENTS

• ISRO’s first satellite, Aryabhata, was launched on April 19, 1975. Rohini, the first satellite which placed in orbit by an Indian made launch vehicle (The Satellite Launch Vehicle 3) in 1980.

• ISRO launched its first INSAT satellite in 1982. It was named as INSAT-1A, which failed in orbit.

• In 1983 INSAT-1B commissioned, which was one of the largest domestic communication satellite systems in Asia-Pacific region. INSAT provides services to television broadcasting, telecommunication, weather forecasting, disaster warning etc.

• ISRO developed three types of launch vehicle, 1. PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) 2. GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) 3. GSLV MARK III (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III)

• ISRO launched its first lunar mission ‘CHANDRAYAAN’ in 2008

• In 2014 ISRO launched the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or Mangalyaan. After getting succeed ISRO became first agency in the world putting a satellite in Mars orbit in its maiden attempt.

• In 2017, ISRO created a world record by launching 104 Satellites in a single rocket

• In 2023, ISRO concede first successful soft landing on the moon’s south pole, which is one of its kind.

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

India just completed a successful journey to the moon, which has opened up a lot of opportunities for future cooperation with foreign space agencies.

One notable partnership in between ISRO & JAXA. This cooperative venture is known as Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX), was initiated after ISRO & JAXA Implementation Arrangement (IA) in December 2017.

By March 2018, they had completed a feasibility report, marking the initial step toward their shared goal of lunar exploration through the (LUPEX) mission.

FUTURE PLANS

Take a look at all the missions which is take up by ISRO in coming years.

RISAT-1A – This is a radar imaging satellite. The primary application of this satellite is in terrain mapping and analysis of land, oven and water surfaces.

GAGANYAAN-1 – Gaganyaan is an Indian crewed orbital spacecraft. It was developed to be basis of Human Spaceflight Program. It is the very first human spaceflight mission of India to be held on 2024.

NISAR- The satellite is slated for launch from India aboard a GSLV Mark II on 30 March 2024. The orbit will be a Sun-synchronous, dawn-to-dusk type. The planned mission life is three years. The project has passed the first stage of the design validation phase and has been reviewed and approved by NASA.

CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY

At present ISRO conducted three missions to the Moon and one to Mars. ISRO’s program have played a significant role in socio-economic development of India which supported both civilian and military in various aspects including disaster management, navigation, weather forecasting and Everyday life.

ISRO's COST EFFECTIVE APPROACH

The success of India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission not only shows the growth of India’s space capability but also proves the ISRO’s cost effective missions. The world paid attention in 2014 when India’s Mars Orbiter Mission Mangalyaan at $74 million, which is less than the movie nearly about $100 million. At same mission Maven, NASA spends 10 times more than ISRO.

Another example shows that, the PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) rocket costs around $25 million per launch, translating to $6579 per kilogram to low Earth orbit. This is significantly lower than many Western counterparts, including NASA’s SLS rocket, which costs $28,572 per kilogram.

CONCLUSION

There is no doubt that ISRO is really the pride of India. ISRO’s programs have played significant role in India’s socio-economic development. Furthermore, it has boosted the reputation of India in the world as a nation of scientific thought and development. Hopefully, with the right strategies and investments, India’s space economy could achieve unprecedented growth.

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Brief History of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)