Citizens Point

ISRO’s own rocket ‘Satellite Launch Vehicle’ or SLV successfully places Rohini Satellite in Orbit. Successive launches in 1981 and 1983 were successful too.

India’s first geostationary satellite, The Ariane Passenger PayLoad Experiment (APPLE), was an experimental communication satellite launched from France.

The pioneer satellite INSAT 1A built by ISRO was launched from Cape Canaveral, USA. It failed in orbit. Successive launches led to successful operation in orbit. INSAT was instrumental for Indian communication system. INSAT-3DR was launched by an Indian rocket in 2016.

Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma flew in a Soyuz T-11 spacecraft to space, becoming the first ever Indian to achieve the feat. He spent eight days in space aboard the Salyut 7 space station.

Dubbed Bhoonidhi, it was the first indigenous state-of-art remote sensing satellite. It was successfully launched into a polar sun-synchronous orbit using a soviet rocket.

The Advanced Satellite Launch Vehicle was used for only 4 times. Its last launch was in 5th May 1994. It was used to launch Stretched Rohini Satellite Series (SROSS).

Workhorse of ISRO, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) was launched successfully. Till 1st January, 2024 PSLV has been used in 60 launches, with 57 successful ones.

The first launch of an Indian Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle from Sriharikota, Tamil Nadu.

PSLV was used to launch the Cartosat series of rockets which were used for remote sensing and defence applications.

Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE – 1) tested successfully. It demonstrated the technology of an orbiting platform for performing experiments in micro gravity conditions. After completion of the experiments, the capsule was de-orbited and recovered.

Chandrayaan-I was successfully launched and it was the first Indian mission to the Moon and fifth by any country. It had an orbiter and an impactor. Further, it discovered water on the lunar surface.

ISRO launched the first satellite for the constellation of Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (desi-GPS). It fulfills a key national objective.

The legendary Indian mission to Mars made it the first country to successfully reach the Red planet in the first attempt. And it was PSLV which delivered the satellite.

This 3-stage Next Generation Launch Vehicle or GSLV Mk-III was designed to be used on human spaceflight missions. It can carry 10 ton payload to Low Earth Orbit. It carried CARE module which re-entered atmosphere and landed safely in Andaman Sea.

ISRO launched India’s first astronomical observatory satellite into a 650km orbit.

Reusable Launch Vehicle (Technology Demonstrator), dubbed Pushpak was tested successfully. The winged RLV-TD acted as a flying test bed for future “hypersonic flight, autonomous landing and powered cruise flight”. It was the first step to India’s reusable two stage orbital launch vehicle.

It is India’s heaviest satellite launched from France. The communication satellite weighs 5854 kilograms.

DRDO’s Anti Satellite Weapon or ASAT was a test that showcases India’s ability to fight a war in space. A modified Prithvi defence vehicle Mk-II neutralized a Low Earth Orbit Satellite with a kinetic kill.

The second mission to Moon involved an orbiter, a lander and a rover. The landing mission was unsuccessful, but the orbiter still contributes valuable insights about the lunar surface as well as outer space. Chandrayaan II was launched by a GSLV Mark-III rocket.

The NVS series of satellites were launched for first time for Navigation with Indian Constellation or NaVIC services. It enhances on IRNSS. Notably, this satellite carried India’s first Atomic Clock on-board to space. It provides geo-positioning data to Indian mainland as well as 1500 kilometers from Indian borders.

Coming back from the previous setback, ISRO completed the challenging Moon landing mission with the iconic landing of Chandrayaan near the lunar South Pole, which has the most adverse climate. The landing was perfect and the rover strolled the Moon before its battery died. The mission had 7 payloads and all achieved their objectives. India was 4th country to land on Earth’s Moon and first one to land near the lunar South Pole.

This is one ISRO’s most challenging feats. ADITYA satellite with 7 payloads is solely developed to study the SUN. It successfully orbits the Langrage Point 1 from where it observes our star 24*7. It is at a distance of 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, and it is the closest Indian satellite to the Sun.

The X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite or XpoSat, carries 2 scientific payloads for studying various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions in a low-Earth orbit. It is India’s first dedicated polarimetry mission to study spectrographic information from various astronomical sources such as blackhole, neutron stars, active galactic nuclei, pulsar wind nebulae etc.