ISRO — Indian Space Research Organisation
Overview
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Form | Indian Space Research Organisation |
| Founded | 15 August 1969 (successor to INCOSPAR, est. 1962) |
| Founder | Dr. Vikram Sarabhai (Father of the Indian Space Programme) |
| Headquarters | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Current Chairman | Dr. V. Narayanan (since 14 January 2025; 2-year tenure) |
| Parent Department | Department of Space (DoS), Government of India |
| Motto | “Space Technology in the Service of Humankind” |
| First Satellite | Aryabhata (19 April 1975; launched by Soviet Kosmos-3M from Kapustin Yar) |
| First Indigenous Launch | SLV-3 carrying Rohini satellite (18 July 1980) |
| First Sounding Rocket | Nike-Apache from Thumba (21 November 1963) |
Key Historical Milestones
- 1962: Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) established under DAE by PM Jawaharlal Nehru, on the recommendation of Vikram Sarabhai
- 1963: First sounding rocket (Nike-Apache, provided by NASA) launched from Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), Thiruvananthapuram
- 1969: INCOSPAR reconstituted as ISRO under the Department of Atomic Energy
- 1972: Department of Space (DoS) established; Space Commission set up
- 1975: Aryabhata – India’s first satellite – launched by Soviet Union
- 1980: Rohini satellite placed in orbit by India’s own SLV-3, making India the 7th nation to achieve indigenous orbital launch capability
ISRO Launch Vehicles
| Vehicle | Full Form | First Launch | Payload Capacity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLV-3 | Satellite Launch Vehicle | 10 Aug 1979 (failed); 18 Jul 1980 (success) | ~40 kg to 400 km LEO | Retired (4 launches) |
| ASLV | Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle | 24 Mar 1987 | ~150 kg to 400 km LEO | Retired (4 launches; 1987-1994) |
| PSLV | Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle | 20 Sep 1993 | 1,750 kg to SSO; 3,800 kg to LEO | Operational (63 launches as of Jan 2026; ~92% success rate) |
| GSLV Mk II | Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle | 18 Apr 2001 | 2,500 kg to GTO; 5,000 kg to LEO | Operational (18 launches as of Jul 2025; ~67% success rate) |
| LVM3 | Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (formerly GSLV Mk III) | 5 Jun 2017 (GSLV Mk III-D1) | 4,000 kg to GTO; 10,000 kg to LEO | Operational (9 launches; 100% success rate as of Dec 2025) |
| SSLV | Small Satellite Launch Vehicle | 7 Aug 2022 (partial failure); 10 Feb 2023 (success) | 500 kg to 500 km LEO; 300 kg to SSO | Operational; HAL awarded production contract (Jun 2025) |
| RLV-TD | Reusable Launch Vehicle – Technology Demonstrator | 23 May 2016 (HEX-01) | Technology demonstrator (no orbital payload yet) | Under development (winged body; aims to reduce launch cost by 10x) |
Key Notes on Launch Vehicles
- PSLV is ISRO’s workhorse – launched Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter Mission, and Aditya-L1. Has four variants: PSLV-G (standard), PSLV-CA (Core Alone), PSLV-XL (extended strap-ons), PSLV-DL/QL (2 or 4 strap-ons)
- LVM3 is ISRO’s heaviest launcher – used for Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, OneWeb commercial launches, and GSAT-7R (Navy). Designated for Gaganyaan crewed missions
- GSLV Mk II features India’s indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) with CE-20 engine; used for NISAR (Jul 2025)
- SSLV is being transferred to industry – HAL (with L&T) will manufacture, market, and launch. New SSLV launch complex under construction at Kulasekarapattinam, Tamil Nadu (expected ready by Dec 2026)
- RLV-TD is a Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) concept – the first stage is a winged reusable vehicle. Successful autonomous landing tests (LEX) completed in 2023 and 2024
Key ISRO Missions
| Mission | Year | Launch Vehicle | Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aryabhata | 1975 | Soviet Kosmos-3M | India’s first satellite; X-ray astronomy and solar physics experiments |
| Bhaskara-I | 1979 | Soviet Intercosmos | First Indian Earth observation satellite |
| Rohini (RS-1) | 1980 | SLV-3 | First satellite placed in orbit by an Indian launch vehicle |
| INSAT-1B | 1983 | US Delta | First operational INSAT; revolutionised TV broadcasting, telecom, and meteorology in India |
| IRS-1A | 1988 | Soviet Vostok | First Indian Remote Sensing satellite; launched from Baikonur |
| PSLV-C1 | 1999 | PSLV | First fully successful PSLV mission; carried IRS-P4 (Oceansat-1) |
| Chandrayaan-1 | 2008 | PSLV-C11 (XL) | India’s first lunar mission; discovered water molecules on Moon surface (Moon Mineralogy Mapper + Moon Impact Probe) |
| Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) | 2013-14 | PSLV-C25 | India became 4th space agency and first Asian nation to reach Mars orbit; first to succeed on maiden attempt; cost just $74 million |
| Astrosat | 2015 | PSLV-C30 | India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory |
| PSLV-C37 | 2017 | PSLV | World record: 104 satellites deployed in a single mission |
| Chandrayaan-2 | 2019 | GSLV Mk III-M1 | Orbiter + Vikram lander + Pragyan rover; lander crashed on 6 Sep 2019; orbiter still operational |
| Chandrayaan-3 | 2023 | LVM3-M4 | Successful soft landing at lunar south pole on 23 Aug 2023 (Statio Shiv Shakti); India became 4th nation to soft-land on Moon and 1st to land near the south pole |
| Aditya-L1 | 2023 | PSLV-C57 | India’s first solar observation mission; inserted into halo orbit at Sun-Earth L1 point (6 Jan 2024); carries 7 payloads including VELC coronagraph |
| XPoSat | 2024 | PSLV-C58 | India’s first X-ray Polarimetry satellite; world’s second after NASA’s IXPE |
| NISAR | 2025 | GSLV-F16 (Mk II) | Joint NASA-ISRO SAR satellite; dual-frequency (L-band + S-band); launched 30 Jul 2025; world’s first dual-frequency SAR imaging satellite |
| Gaganyaan (G1) | 2026 (planned H2) | LVM3 (HLVM3) | India’s first human spaceflight programme; uncrewed G1 test mission (with Vyommitra humanoid) expected H2 2026 (delayed from March 2026 due to spaceport constraints); first crewed mission (H1) targeted 2027 [Source: ISRO, May 2026] |
Chandrayaan Programme – Quick Summary
| Mission | Launch Date | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Chandrayaan-1 | 22 Oct 2008 | Discovered water on Moon; operated 312 days; carried 11 payloads from 6 countries |
| Chandrayaan-2 | 22 Jul 2019 | Orbiter successful (still operational); Vikram lander crashed during descent |
| Chandrayaan-3 | 14 Jul 2023 | Soft landing on 23 Aug 2023; Pragyan rover (27 kg) operated for 1 lunar day (~14 Earth days); landing site named Statio Shiv Shakti |
Gaganyaan Programme – Key Facts
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Objective | Send 3 Indian astronauts (Gaganauts) to ~400 km LEO for 3 days and return safely |
| Crew Module | Orbital Module (mass ~8.2 tonnes) designed for 3 crew |
| Launch Vehicle | Human-rated LVM3 (HLVM3) with Crew Escape System (CES) |
| Vyommitra | Half-humanoid robot; will fly on uncrewed G1 and G2 missions |
| Test Flights | TV-D1 (Oct 2023 – abort test), IADT-01 (Aug 2025 – parachute drop test), G1 uncrewed (H2 2026, delayed), G2 uncrewed (post-G1), H1 crewed (2027) |
| Astronaut Training | 4 IAF test pilots trained at Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, Russia |
| Budget | Approx. Rs 12,000 crore (~$1.5 billion) |
ISRO Centres and Facilities
| Centre | Full Form | Location | Key Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| VSSC | Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | Launch vehicle design & development (PSLV, GSLV, LVM3, SSLV) |
| URSC | U R Rao Satellite Centre (formerly ISAC) | Bengaluru, Karnataka | Satellite design, fabrication, integration & testing |
| SAC | Space Applications Centre | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Payloads, communication & remote sensing instruments |
| LPSC | Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre | Valiamala (Thiruvananthapuram) & Bengaluru | Liquid & cryogenic propulsion engines (Vikas, CE-7.5, CE-20) |
| SDSC SHAR | Satish Dhawan Space Centre – Sriharikota Range | Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh | India’s primary orbital launch site (2 launch pads) |
| NRSC | National Remote Sensing Centre | Hyderabad, Telangana | Remote sensing data reception, processing & distribution |
| IIRS | Indian Institute of Remote Sensing | Dehradun, Uttarakhand | Training & capacity building in remote sensing & GIS |
| ISTRAC | ISRO Telemetry Tracking & Command Network | Bengaluru, Karnataka | Spacecraft tracking, telemetry & mission operations |
| IPRC | ISRO Propulsion Complex | Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu | Propulsion system testing & assembly |
| MCF | Master Control Facility | Hassan (Karnataka) & Bhopal (MP) | Geostationary satellite orbit control & monitoring |
| PRL | Physical Research Laboratory | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Fundamental research in space science (cradle of Indian space programme) |
| TERLS | Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station | Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram | India’s first rocket launch site (1963); now part of VSSC |
| SLC (new) | SSLV Launch Complex | Kulasekarapattinam, Tamil Nadu | India’s second spaceport; under construction (target: Dec 2026) |
Global Space Agencies
| Agency | Full Form | Country | HQ | Current Head (as of Mar 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | USA | Washington, D.C. | Jared Isaacman (since Dec 2025) |
| ESA | European Space Agency | 22 European member states | Paris, France | Josef Aschbacher (Director General) |
| Roscosmos | Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities | Russia | Moscow | Dmitry Bakanov (since Feb 2025) |
| CNSA | China National Space Administration | China | Beijing | Shan Zhongde (since Jan 2025) |
| JAXA | Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency | Japan | Tokyo (Chofu) | Hiroshi Yamakawa (President) |
| ISRO | Indian Space Research Organisation | India | Bengaluru | Dr. V. Narayanan (since Jan 2025) |
| KASA | Korea AeroSpace Administration | South Korea | Daejeon | Yoon Youngbin (Administrator; est. 2024) |
| CSA | Canadian Space Agency | Canada | Longueuil, Quebec | Lisa Campbell (President) |
| CNES | Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales | France | Paris | Francois Jacq (since May 2025) |
| DLR | Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt | Germany | Cologne | Walther Pelzer (Director General) |
| ASI | Agenzia Spaziale Italiana | Italy | Rome | Teodoro Valente (President) |
Landmark Global Space Missions
| Mission | Agency | Year | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sputnik 1 | USSR | 1957 | First artificial satellite; began the Space Age |
| Vostok 1 | USSR | 1961 | Yuri Gagarin – first human in space (12 April 1961; celebrated as International Day of Human Spaceflight) |
| Apollo 11 | NASA | 1969 | Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin – first humans on the Moon (20 July 1969) |
| Salyut 1 | USSR | 1971 | First space station |
| Voyager 1 & 2 | NASA | 1977 | Grand Tour of outer planets; Voyager 1 entered interstellar space (Aug 2012); now ~172 AU from Earth |
| Hubble Space Telescope | NASA/ESA | 1990 | Launched 24 Apr 1990; revolutionised optical astronomy; still operational after 35+ years |
| ISS | NASA/Roscosmos/ESA/JAXA/CSA | 1998-present | International Space Station; continuously occupied since Nov 2000 |
| Chang’e 3 | CNSA | 2013 | China’s first lunar soft landing; carried Yutu rover |
| Hayabusa2 | JAXA | 2014-2020 | Returned 5.4 g of samples from asteroid Ryugu; found water-rich minerals and organic matter |
| Chang’e 5 | CNSA | 2020 | Returned 1,731 g of lunar samples – first sample return since Soviet Luna 24 (1976) |
| James Webb Space Telescope | NASA/ESA/CSA | 2021 | Launched 25 Dec 2021; orbits Sun-Earth L2; infrared observatory; discovered earliest galaxies and exoplanet atmospheres |
| Artemis I | NASA | 2022 | Uncrewed test of SLS rocket + Orion spacecraft around the Moon |
| Chang’e 6 | CNSA | 2024 | First-ever sample return from lunar far side (1,935.3 g from South Pole-Aitken Basin) |
| Artemis II | NASA | 2026 | First crewed lunar flyby in 50+ years; launched April 1, 2026; 4 astronauts (Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen/CSA); splashed down April 10, 2026 — mission completed successfully |
Key One-Liners for Quick Revision
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Father of Indian Space Programme | Dr. Vikram Sarabhai |
| Missile Man of India | Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (also led SLV-3 project at ISRO) |
| India’s first satellite | Aryabhata (1975) – named after the ancient Indian mathematician-astronomer |
| India’s first launch vehicle | SLV-3 (1980) – project director: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam |
| India’s first spaceport | TERLS, Thumba (Thiruvananthapuram) – first rocket launch: 21 Nov 1963 |
| India’s second spaceport | Kulasekarapattinam, Tamil Nadu (under construction; target Dec 2026) |
| ISRO’s workhorse rocket | PSLV – 63 launches, ~92% success rate |
| ISRO’s heaviest rocket | LVM3 – 10 tonnes to LEO; 100% success rate (9/9 launches) |
| First Indian to go to space | Rakesh Sharma (3 Apr 1984; Soyuz T-11; spent 7 days 21 hours aboard Salyut 7) |
| National Space Day | 23 August (anniversary of Chandrayaan-3 landing, 2023) |
| Chandrayaan-3 landing site name | Statio Shiv Shakti (named by PM Modi, 26 Aug 2023) |
| Chandrayaan-2 crash site name | Tiranga Point |
| Mars Orbiter Mission cost | $74 million (cheapest Mars mission ever) |
| India reached Mars on which attempt | First attempt (only country to do so) |
| Aditya-L1 orbits at | Sun-Earth Lagrange Point L1 (~1.5 million km from Earth) |
| NISAR satellite is a joint project of | NASA + ISRO (dual-frequency SAR: L-band by NASA, S-band by ISRO) |
| PSLV record: most satellites in one launch | 104 satellites (PSLV-C37, 15 Feb 2017) |
| First woman in space | Valentina Tereshkova (USSR, Vostok 6, 16 Jun 1963) |
| First human in space | Yuri Gagarin (USSR, Vostok 1, 12 Apr 1961) |
| First Moon landing | Apollo 11 (NASA, 20 Jul 1969; Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin) |
| Farthest human-made object | Voyager 1 (~172 AU from Earth; in interstellar space since Aug 2012) |
| JWST orbits at | Sun-Earth Lagrange Point L2 (~1.5 million km from Earth) |
| Countries that soft-landed on Moon | USA, USSR/Russia, China, India, Japan (5 nations as of 2024) |
| Indian Space Policy 2023 | Opened space sector to private players; IN-SPACe is the regulatory body |
| IN-SPACe | Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (est. 2020; HQ: Ahmedabad) |
| NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) | Commercial arm of ISRO (est. 2019; HQ: Bengaluru) – handles commercial launches and satellite services |
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: ISRO missions, launch vehicles (names, payloads, capacities), satellite series (INSAT, IRS, GSAT, NavIC), space agencies and their countries, first-in-space facts, Chandrayaan/Mangalyaan specifics. Mains GS-3: Achievements of Indians in S&T; indigenisation of technology; space technology applications (communication, remote sensing, navigation, disaster management); India’s space diplomacy; privatisation of space sector (IN-SPACe, NSIL); Gaganyaan and its significance.
Facts Corner – Knowledgepedia
ISRO Core Data:
- Founded: 15 August 1969 (predecessor INCOSPAR: 1962)
- HQ: Bengaluru, Karnataka
- Current Chairman: Dr. V. Narayanan (since 14 Jan 2025)
- Parent body: Department of Space (DoS)
- Founder: Dr. Vikram Sarabhai
- First satellite: Aryabhata (19 Apr 1975)
- First indigenous launch: SLV-3 / Rohini (18 Jul 1980)
- First sounding rocket: Nike-Apache from Thumba (21 Nov 1963)
Launch Vehicle Capacities:
- PSLV: 1,750 kg (SSO) / 3,800 kg (LEO) – 63 launches, ~92% success
- GSLV Mk II: 2,500 kg (GTO) / 5,000 kg (LEO) – 18 launches
- LVM3: 4,000 kg (GTO) / 10,000 kg (LEO) – 9 launches, 100% success
- SSLV: 500 kg (LEO) / 300 kg (SSO)
Key Mission Dates:
- Chandrayaan-1: 22 Oct 2008 (discovered water on Moon)
- Mars Orbiter Mission: 5 Nov 2013 launch; 24 Sep 2014 Mars orbit insertion; cost $74 million
- Chandrayaan-3: 14 Jul 2023 launch; 23 Aug 2023 landing (Statio Shiv Shakti)
- Aditya-L1: 2 Sep 2023 launch; 6 Jan 2024 L1 halo orbit insertion
- NISAR (NASA-ISRO): 30 Jul 2025 launch
- Artemis II: launched 1 Apr 2026; splashed down 10 Apr 2026 — first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo 17 (1972); crew: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch (NASA), Jeremy Hansen (CSA)
- Gaganyaan G1 (uncrewed, Vyommitra): expected H2 2026 (delayed); H1 crewed: targeted 2027
Global Space Firsts:
- First satellite: Sputnik 1 (USSR, 1957)
- First human in space: Yuri Gagarin (USSR, 12 Apr 1961)
- First Moon landing: Apollo 11 (NASA, 20 Jul 1969)
- First space station: Salyut 1 (USSR, 1971)
- First Indian in space: Rakesh Sharma (3 Apr 1984, aboard Salyut 7)
- Countries with Moon soft-landing: USA, USSR, China, India, Japan (5 nations)
Other Relevant Facts:
- PSLV-C37 record: 104 satellites in single launch (15 Feb 2017)
- India’s second spaceport: Kulasekarapattinam, Tamil Nadu (target: Dec 2026)
- IN-SPACe (est. 2020, HQ: Ahmedabad) – regulates private space activities
- NSIL (est. 2019, HQ: Bengaluru) – ISRO’s commercial arm
- Indian Space Policy 2023 opened space to private sector
- NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation): India’s regional navigation system (7 satellites; covers India + 1,500 km)
- Voyager 1: farthest human-made object (~172 AU from Earth)
- JWST launched 25 Dec 2021; orbits Sun-Earth L2
