• published: 21 Feb 2014
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The Indian Space Research Organization is the primary space agency of the Indian government. ISRO is amongst the six largest government space agencies in the world. Its primary objective is to advance space technology and use its applications for national benefit. It was established for the research and development of vehicles and activities for the exploration of space within and outside of Earth's atmosphere in 1969. Headquartered in Bangalore, Isro chief executive is also chairman of the Indian government's Space Commission and the secretary of the Department of Space. India's space era dawned when the first two-stage sounding rocket was launched from Thumba in 1963. With the advent of the Indian space program, emphasis was laid on indigenous, self-reliant and state-of-the-art development of technology for immediate practical applications in the fields of space science research activities in the country. ISROs first satellite, Arya bhatta, was launched by the Soviet Union in 1975. Rohini, the first satellite to be placed in orbit by an Indian-made launch vehicle was launched in 1980. ISRO has several field installations as assets, and cooperates with the international community as a part of several bilateral and multilateral agreements. Geopolitical and economic considerations during the 1960s and 1970s compelled India to initiate its own launch vehicle program. During the first phase (1960s-1970s) the country successfully developed a sounding rockets program, and by the 1980s, research had yielded the Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 and the more advanced Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), complete with operational supporting infrastructure. ISRO further applied its energies to the advancement of launch vehicle technology resulting in the creation of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geo synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) technologies. Indian scientists and engineers developed the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle which is an expendable launch system developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites into sun synchronous orbits. The reliability and versatility of the PSLV is proven by the fact that it has launched 55 satellites / space crafts (26 Indian and 29 Foreign Satellites) into a variety of orbits so far. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle is a launch system developed to enable India to launch its INSAT-type satellites into geostationary orbit and to make India less dependent on foreign rockets. At present, it is ISRO's heaviest satellite launch vehicle and is capable of putting a total payload of up to 5 tons to Low Earth Orbit. Indian Space Research Organization has successfully operationalized two major satellite systems namely Indian National Satellites (INSAT) for communication services and Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites for management of natural resources. INSAT is a series of multi-purpose satellites to satisfy the telecommunications, broadcasting, meteorology and search-and-rescue needs of India. Commissioned in 1983, INSAT is the largest domestic communication system in the Asia-Pacific Region. IRS are a series of earth observation satellites, that provides remote sensing services to the country. They provide data in a variety of spatial, spectral and temporal resolutions to enable several programs to be undertaken relevant to national development. India's economic progress has made its space program more visible and active as the country aims for greater self-reliance in space technology. India also connects space exploration to national prestige. ISRO has achieved numerous milestones since its establishment. In 2008, ISRO successfully launched its first lunar probe, Chandrayaan-1, while future plans include indigenous development of GSLV, manned space missions, further lunar exploration, and interplanetary probes. Over the years, the space organization has conducted a variety of operations for both Indian and foreign clients. In 2010 India has launched 11 satellites, including nine from other countries—and it became the first nation to launch 11 satellites on one rocket. The Indian Space Research Organization launched its first Mars orbiter, called Mars Orbiter Mission, or Mangal yaan, on 5 November 2013. The primary objective of the Mars Orbiter Mission is to showcase India's rocket launch systems, spacecraft-building and operations capabilities. Specifically, the primary objective is to develop the technologies required for design, planning, management and operations of an interplanetary mission. The Indian Space Research Organization has proposed a budget of US $2.3 billion for its human spaceflight program. If realized in the stated time-frame, India will become the fourth nation, after the USSR, USA and China, to successfully carry out manned missions indigenously.