Indian Space Programme

Indian Space Programme – the History and Achievements.

Programme—The primary objectives of Indian Space Programme are ‘‘Satellite Based Communications, Resources Survey and Meteorological Applications.’’

Research and development activities under the space programme are carried out in various centers/units of Deptt. of Space and ISRO. The major centers are-Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram; ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bangalore; SHAR Centre at Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh); Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad; Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) with its facilities at Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram and Mahendragiri; ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) with its network of ground stations and Development and Educational Communication Unit (DECU), Ahmedabad.

The headquarters of the Department of Space and ISRO are located in Bangalore.

Space Programme & Achievements
Aryabhatta—India’s first Satellite launched from Soviet Cosmodrom on April 19, 1975.
Bhaskar—India’s Second Satellite launched on June 7, 1979.
Rohini I—Launched for the first time from Indian soil in July 1980.
Rohini II—Launched on May 21, 1981 but it was burnt on June 8, 1981.
Apple—(First Communication Satellite) Launched on June 19, 1981 by European Space Agency from Kourou, French Guyana.
Bhaskar II—India’s second Earth Observation Satellite launched from Soviet Cosmodrom on November 21, 1981.
INSAT–1A—India’ First Multipurpose satellite launched on April 10, 1982 from Cape Canaveral in USA. It ended Functioning within 6 months of its launching.
Rohini–2—It was launched in April 1983 from Sriharikota (SHAR) by Indian made SLV-3 D. 2 Rocket. It shows India’s satisfactory progress in Space Research.


INSAT–1B—It was launched on 30th August, 1983 from Cape Canaveral (America) by American Shuttle Challenger.
A.S.L.V.—On March 24, 1987 India launched A.S.L.V. But it caught fire within three minutes and was destroyed.
I.R.S.–1A—This satellite India’s first Remote Sensing Satellite was launched on March 17, 1988.
I.R.S.–1-B—Second Indian Remote Sensing Satellite was launched on Aug. 29 and it became operative on 16th Sept. 1991.
A.S.L.V.–D2—A.S.L.V.-D2 was unsuccessfully launched from Sriharikota on July 13, 1988.
INSAT–1C—INSAT–1C was launched by Arian Rocket from French Guyana on July 22, 1988. It is partially working.
INSAT–1D—The last satellite of INSAT–1 series has been launched from Cape Canaveral on 12th June, 1990. It has started giving its services since 17th July, 1990.
A.S.L.V.–D-3—This was launched from Sriharikota on May 20, 1992. It has successfully placed into orbit a SROSS-III Satellite.
INSAT–2A—This was launched by Arian Rocket–4 from French Guyana on July 10, 1992.
INSAT-2B—This was launched by Arian Rocket from French Guyana on July 23, 1993.
PSLV-D1—It was unsuccessfully launched from Sriharikota on Sept. 20, 1993.
PSLV-D2—IRS-P2, 870 kg. Remote Sensing Satellite hurled into Polar Sun-Synchronous Orbit by the successful launch of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-D2) from Sriharikota on October 15, 1994.
INSAT-2C—Launched into Orbit from Kourou (French Guyana) on Dec. 7, 1995.
IRS-1C—Successfully launched on Dec. 28, 1995.
IRS-P3—It was successfully launched on March 21, 1996.
INSAT-2D—Successfully launched into orbit from Kourou (French Guyana) on June 4, 1997.
IRS-1D—It was successfully launched on Sept. 29, 1997 from Sriharikota.
INSAT-2E—Successfully launched into Orbit from Kourou (French Guyana) on April 3, 1999.
IRS-P—Successfully launched from Rocket Launching Centre, Sriharikota on 26th May, 1999 PSLV–C2.
PSLV-C4—It was successfully launched from Sriharikota on May 26, 1999. It carried India’s IRSP4 (Ocean sat), South Korean Kit sat-3 and Germany’s Tubsat in space in their respective orbits.
INSAT-3B—It was successfully launched from European Rocket Launching Station at Kourou in French Guyana on March 22, 2000.
GSLV–D1—It was successfully launched from Sriharikota Range (SHAR), Andhra Pradesh on April 18, 2001. It carried India’s satellite GSAT-1 and put it in the earth’s orbit. Its purpose is commercial communication.
PSLV–C3—PSLV–C3 was launched on October 22, 2001 from ISRO’s SHAR Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh carrying 3 satellites—ISRO’s Technology Experiment Satellite (TES), Germany’s BIRD (Bispectral and Infrared Remote Detection) and Belgium’s PROBA (Project for Onboard Autonomy).
INSAT-3C—It was successfully launched on January 24, 2002 by European Rocket Arian-4 from Kourou launching station of French Guyana.
PSLV–C4—India’s first exclusive meteorological satellite (METSAT) was successfully launched in Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) by PSLVC4 on September 12, 2002 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
INSAT-3A—India successfully launched into space its space satellite INSAT-3A on Ariane rocket from Kourou in French Guyana on April 10, 2003. It is primarily a meteorological satellite.
GSLV-D2—India successfully launched her GSLV-D2 carrying a communication satellite GSAT-2 from Sriharikota on May 8, 2003.
INSAT-3E—India’s communication satellite INSAT-3E was successfully launched into space from Kourou Space Centre on September 28, 2003.
Resource sat-1—India successfully launched its heaviest (1360 kg) and sophisticated remote sensing satellite, Resource sat-1 using the indigenously built polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) on October 17, 2003.
Rohini-200—On the 40th anniversary of launching Rohini rockets India’s ISRO successfully launched Rohini-200 sounding rocket on November 21, 2003.
Edusat—India launched her first educational satellite EDUSAT on September 20, 2004 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
CARTOSAT–1—India’s first mapping satellite CARTOSAT-1 was launched into space on May 5, 2005 with the help of the launching rocket-Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle–PSLV-CS. Another satellite–HAMSAT was also launched at the same time. Both satellites were successfully placed in their geostationary orbit.
INSAT-4A—The latest and heaviest communication satellite of Indian Space Research Organisations (ISRO), was successfully launched by the European Agency’s Ariane-5 G launch vehicle from Kourou (French Guyana) on December 22, 2005.
INSAT-4C—Launched on July 10, 2006 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota with the help of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-FO2), the 2,168 kg. satellite to boost Direct to Home Television Service and digital news gathering could not be a success owing to the failure of the launch vehicle. The mission was thus an unfortunate failure.
PSLV-C9—In its thirteenth flight conducted from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, Sriharikota on April 28, 2008 ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle—PSLV-C9 successfully launched the 690 kg Indian remote, sensing satellite.
CARTOSAT-2A, the 83 kg Indian Mini Satellite (IMS-1) and eight nanosatellites for international customers.
Chandrayaan-I—India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C11) on Oct. 22, 2008 successfully put Chandrayaan-I into its initial orbit marking the spacecraft’s long journey to the Moon. It was really a historic achievement on the part of India.
INSAT-4B—ISRO’s Satellite INSAT-4B successfully launched on March 12, 2007 by the European Arian-5 ECA launch vehicle from the Kourou island in French Guiana. The 3025 kg INSAT-4B is the second Satellite in the INSAT-4 series. INSAT-4B will further augment the INSAT capacity for Direct-To-Home (DTH) television services and other communication and TV services.