INDIA’S SPACE PROGRAMME — MAJOR MISSIONS, SATELLITES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

PRERNA FOR IAS

         Mehnat Aapki, Guidance Humari

         Roz ki Prelims Practice — Experts ke Saath

INDIA’S SPACE PROGRAMME — MAJOR MISSIONS, SATELLITES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

1. Beginning of India’s Space Programme

• India’s space programme developed with the objective of using space science and technology for national development, communication, weather services, resource management and scientific exploration.
• INCOSPAR was established in 1962, while the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was formed on 15 August 1969.
• The Department of Space and Space Commission were created in 1972, giving the programme an institutional framework. (ISRO)

2. Aryabhata — India’s First Satellite

• Aryabhata, launched on 19 April 1975, was India’s first satellite.
• It was completely designed and fabricated in India and launched by a Soviet Kosmos-3M/Intercosmos rocket.
• Its scientific objectives included X-ray astronomy, aeronomy and solar physics. (ISRO)

3. Bhaskara and Rohini Satellites

• Bhaskara-I, launched in 1979, was an experimental Earth-observation satellite used for studies of land and water resources.
• Rohini RS-1 was successfully placed in orbit on 18 July 1980 by India’s indigenous SLV-3.
• This success made India the sixth nation capable of launching a satellite using its own launch vehicle. (ISRO)

4. INSAT System

• The Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system began in the early 1980s.
• It became a multipurpose satellite system supporting telecommunications, television broadcasting, meteorology, disaster warning and search-and-rescue services.
• INSAT significantly expanded communication and broadcasting facilities across remote and rural areas of India.

5. Indian Remote Sensing Programme

• India’s operational remote-sensing programme expanded with the IRS satellite series, beginning with IRS-1A in 1988.
• Remote-sensing satellites provide information for agriculture, forestry, groundwater, land-use mapping, disaster management, coastal studies and mineral exploration.
• This capability made space technology directly relevant to developmental planning. (ISRO)

6. PSLV — India’s Workhorse Launcher

• The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) was first launched in 1993, although its maiden developmental flight was unsuccessful.
• Later PSLV missions became highly reliable and launched Indian as well as foreign satellites into polar and other orbits.
• PSLV has carried major missions including Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter Mission and Aditya-L1.

7. Chandrayaan-1

• Chandrayaan-1, launched on 22 October 2008, was India’s first lunar mission.
• It carried 11 scientific instruments from India and several other countries.
• Its most significant scientific achievement was confirmation of the presence of hydroxyl and water molecules on the lunar surface. (ISRO)

8. Mars Orbiter Mission — Mangalyaan

• The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) was launched on 5 November 2013 aboard PSLV-C25 and entered Martian orbit on 24 September 2014.
• It was India’s first interplanetary mission and successfully reached Mars orbit in its first attempt.
• Although designed for only about six to ten months, it returned scientific data for more than eight years. (ISRO)

9. Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3

• Chandrayaan-2 was launched on 22 July 2019 with an orbiter, Vikram lander and Pragyan rover; the orbiter successfully entered lunar orbit, although communication with the lander was lost during descent. (ISRO)
• Chandrayaan-3, launched on 14 July 2023, successfully soft-landed the Vikram lander on the Moon on 23 August 2023, followed by deployment of the Pragyan rover.
• The mission established India’s capability for successful lunar soft landing and surface exploration. (ISRO)

10. Significance and Future Direction

• India’s space programme today supports communications, navigation, weather forecasting, disaster management, agriculture, defence and scientific research.
• Recent missions such as Aditya-L1 and XPoSat have expanded India’s capabilities in solar and space-science research. (ISRO)
• Future priorities include Gaganyaan human spaceflight, advanced Earth-observation systems, planetary exploration and stronger private-sector participation.
• India’s space journey—from Aryabhata to Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan—demonstrates the growth of indigenous capability, cost-effective innovation and strategic technological self-reliance.