GK · Chapter 14

Space Program in India

ISRO · Space Centres · Satellites · Missions · Launch Vehicles · Astronauts

Overview

Beginning of Space Program: 1962
Indian National Committee for Space Research formed: 1962; First Chairman: Vikram Sarabhai
Father of Indian Space Program: Vikram Sarabhai
Department of Space & Space Commission formed: 1972
National Space Day: 23rd August — marks the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission

1962Space Program Begins

1969ISRO Founded

23 AugNational Space Day

Governing & Industry Bodies

Body	Details
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)	Formed 1969; HQ: Bengaluru; Current Chairman: V. Narayanan
Indian Space Association	Started October 2021; association of space/satellite companies; Tagline: "From Earth to the Universe"; boosts private sector participation
New Space India Limited (NSIL)	Established 2019; commercial arm of ISRO

Space Centres and Units

Centre / Unit	Established	Location	Key Function
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)	1963	Thiruvananthapuram	Develops satellite launch vehicle technology
Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR)	1971	Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh	ISRO's main launch centre
Space Applications Centre (SAC)	1972	Ahmedabad, Gujarat	Space applications
ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC)	1972	Bengaluru, Karnataka	Satellite design, manufacturing, testing, management
National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC)	1974	Balanagar, Hyderabad, Telangana	Remote sensing
ISTRAC	1976	Bengaluru, Karnataka	Tracking satellites, telemetry, sending commands
Master Control Facility (MCF)	1982; Second unit 2005	Hassan, Karnataka; Bhopal, MP	Satellite control
Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC)	1987	Bengaluru, Karnataka	Design & development of liquid propulsion vehicles
ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC)	2014	Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu	Storable liquid propellants; cryogenic engine development

⚡ QUICK RECALL Most ISRO centres cluster around Bengaluru (ISAC, ISTRAC, LPSC) — remember these three together as the Bengaluru group.

Satellites — Overview

Natural Satellite: Moon
Artificial Satellite: Man-made satellite placed in space
First Artificial Satellite: Sputnik-1 (1957, Soviet Union)
First Indian Artificial Satellite: Aryabhata (1975)

Types of Satellites by Orbital Path

Orbit Type	Details
Low Earth Orbit (LEO)	Altitude ~200–2000 km; elliptical orbit
Solar-Synchronous Orbit	Altitude 500–1000 km; near-polar orbit, North to South
Geosynchronous Orbit	Altitude 36,000 km; circular equatorial orbit
Highly Elliptical Molniya Orbit	Altitudes 504–39,834 km

⚠ EXAM TRAP Geosynchronous orbit altitude (36,000 km) is often confused with LEO (200–2000 km) — remember LEO is much closer to Earth, used for remote sensing; Geosynchronous is for communication satellites.

Firsts in World Space History

Year	Achievement
1957	First artificial satellite — Sputnik-1 (USSR)
1958	First US artificial satellite — Explorer-1
1959	First unmanned spacecraft to land on the Moon — Luna-2 (USSR)
1969	First spacecraft to land humans on the Moon — Apollo-11 (USA)
1981	First space shuttle in space — Columbia (USA)
2001	First space tourist — Dennis Tito; first spacecraft to land on an asteroid — NEAR Shoemaker (NASA), on Eros-433

Major Space Agencies of the World

Agency	Full Name	Country / Type	HQ
Roscosmos	Russian Federal Space Agency	Russia	Moscow
CNES	Centre National d'Études Spatiales	France (1961)	Paris
NASA	National Aeronautics and Space Administration	USA (est. 1958)	Washington DC
ESA	European Space Agency	Intergovernmental; 22 members	Paris (1975)
JAXA	Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency	Japan (2003)	Tokyo

Country	First Satellite	Launch Date
Russia	Sputnik-1	4 Oct 1957
USA	Explorer-1	31 Jan 1958
France	Astérix on A-1	26 Nov 1965
Japan	Ohsumi	11 Feb 1970
China	Dong Fang Hong-1	24 Apr 1970
UK	Prospero on X-3	28 Oct 1971
India	Aryabhata-1	19 Apr 1975

Chandrayaan Missions

Mission	Details
Chandrayaan-1	Launched 22 Oct 2008; PSLV-C11 from Sriharikota; India's first lunar mission
Chandrayaan-2	Launched 22 Jul 2019; targeted South Pole of Moon; Launch Vehicle: GSLV-MkIII (Bahubali); partially successful; impact point named Tiranga Sthal
Chandrayaan-3	Launched 14 Jul 2023; Lander: Vikram, Rover: Pragyan; Launch Vehicle: LVM3-M4; landing site: Shiv Shakti Sthal

Other Major Missions

Mission	Details
Aditya L-1	Launched 2 Sep 2023; PSLV-C57; India's first mission to study the Sun
ISRO's 100th Launch	29 Jan 2025; Satellite: NVS-02 using GSLV F-15
ISRO's First Launch	SLV-3E1 / Rohini Technology

Future Missions

Gaganyaan — manned space mission; demonstrates human spaceflight capability
NISAR — joint NASA-ISRO mission focused on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan has announced India's own Space Station by 2035, and an Indian astronaut landing on the Moon and returning independently by 2040.

Astronauts

Achievement	Person	Details
First Indian Astronaut	Rakesh Sharma	1984; travelled on Soyuz T-11
First Woman of Indian Origin in Space	Kalpana Chawla	1997, 2003; travelled on Space Shuttle Columbia
Second Woman of Indian Origin in Space	Sunita Williams	2006
First Indian to reach ISS	Shubhanshu Shukla	Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4)

⚠ EXAM TRAP Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams are Indian-ORIGIN (US citizens); Rakesh Sharma is the first genuinely Indian citizen in space; Shubhanshu Shukla is the first Indian to reach the ISS specifically. Three distinct "firsts."

Major Indian Satellites

Satellite	Launch Year	Key Details
Aryabhata	19 April 1975	Launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, USSR
Bhaskara-I	1979	Soviet Intercosmos launch vehicle from Volgograd Station, USSR
Bhaskara-II	1981	Soviet Intercosmos launch vehicle from Volgograd Station, USSR
Rohini RS-1	1980	Launched from Sriharikota using SLV-3
APPLE	1981	Launched from Kourou Space Centre, French Guiana, using ESA's Ariane-4
Kalpana-1 (METSAT)	2002	Launched from Sriharikota using PSLV-C4; India's first dedicated meteorological satellite

INSAT System established 1983; multi-purpose operational satellite system; one of the largest domestic communication satellite systems in the Asia-Pacific region.

Generation	Satellites
First Generation	INSAT 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D
Second Generation	INSAT 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E
Third Generation	INSAT 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E
Fourth Generation	INSAT 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E

Launch Vehicle Technology

Vehicle	Key Details
SLV-3	India's first launch vehicle; launched 18 July 1980; India became the 6th member of the Space Club (after USA, USSR, France, Japan, China)
PSLV	Launched 20 December 1993; ISRO's primary launch vehicle; four-stage rocket; launches to 400–900 km; carries up to 1750 kg
GSLV	Launches to 36,000 km; three-stage rocket; first launch 20 March 2001 (failed); first success 8 May 2003; carries up to 4000 kg; GSLV Mk III known as "Bahubali" for its heavy-lift capability

⚠ EXAM TRAP India was the SIXTH country in the Space Club — the order was USA, USSR (Russia), France, Japan, China, then India (1980 with SLV-3). Sequencing this list correctly is a common exam ask.

Space Observatories

Observatory	Details
Hubble Space Observatory	Launched 1990
Chandra X-ray Observatory	Launched 1999
AstroSat	India's first space observatory mission, 2015
Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO)	Hanle, Ladakh (2015)
Tokyo Atacama Observatory (TAO)	World's highest astronomical observatory; Mount Chajnantor, Chile

Quick Reference Summary

Father of Indian Space ProgramVikram Sarabhai

ISRO Founded1969; HQ: Bengaluru

ISRO Current ChairmanV. Narayanan

New Space India LimitedEst. 2019; commercial arm of ISRO

National Space Day23 August (Chandrayaan-3 success)

First Indian Artificial SatelliteAryabhata (19 April 1975)

First Artificial Satellite (World)Sputnik-1 (1957, USSR)

Chandrayaan-122 Oct 2008; PSLV-C11; India's first lunar mission

Chandrayaan-222 Jul 2019; GSLV-MkIII; partially successful

Chandrayaan-314 Jul 2023; landing site: Shiv Shakti Sthal

Aditya L-12 Sep 2023; PSLV-C57; study of the Sun

ISRO 100th Launch29 Jan 2025; NVS-02 using GSLV F-15

GaganyaanFuture manned space mission

NISARJoint NASA-ISRO LEO observatory mission

First Indian AstronautRakesh Sharma (1984); Soyuz T-11

First Woman of Indian Origin in SpaceKalpana Chawla (1997, 2003); Columbia

Kalpana-1 (METSAT)2002; India's first dedicated meteorological satellite

INSAT SystemEst. 1983; multi-purpose operational satellite system

SLV-3India's first launch vehicle; 18 Jul 1980

PSLVLaunched 20 Dec 1993; ISRO's primary vehicle; 4-stage

GSLVFirst successful: 8 May 2003; Mk III known as "Bahubali"

AstroSatIndia's first space observatory mission (2015)