1. Formation: ISRO was founded on August 15, 1969, by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, who is often regarded as the father of the Indian space program. The primary objective of ISRO was to harness space technology for various national tasks, including communication, weather forecasting, and resource surveys.
2. Early Years: In the early 1970s, ISRO focused on developing indigenous satellite launch vehicles and communication satellites. The Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) in 1975 was one of ISRO's notable achievements, which aimed to use satellites for educational purposes in rural areas.
3. Aryabhata and SLV Program: In 1975, ISRO launched its first satellite, Aryabhata, using a Soviet Kosmos-3M launch vehicle. This marked India's entry into the space age. In the early 1980s, ISRO initiated the Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) program to develop its indigenous launch capability.
4. SLV-3 and Rohini Satellite: On July 18, 1980, ISRO's SLV-3 successfully launched the Rohini satellite into orbit, making India the sixth country to have a satellite launch capability from its own soil.
5. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV): In the early 1990s, ISRO developed the PSLV, a more advanced and reliable launch vehicle. PSLV has since become one of ISRO's workhorses, carrying out numerous successful satellite launches for India and other countries.
6. Satellite Navigation: In 2007, ISRO launched its first satellite navigation system, the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), later renamed NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation). It provides accurate position information over India and the surrounding region.
7. Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission: ISRO achieved significant milestones in planetary exploration with the launch of Chandrayaan-1 in 2008, India's first mission to the Moon, and the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) in 2013, which made India the first Asian country to reach Martian orbit and the first in the world to do so in its maiden attempt.
8. Commercial Launch Services: ISRO's commercial arm, Antrix Corporation, provides commercial satellite launch services to international customers. The PSLV and GSLV launch vehicles have been used to deploy various satellites into space for customers from around the world.
9. Gaganyaan: ISRO's ambitious human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan, aims to send Indian astronauts into space. The program is in progress, and ISRO plans to achieve its first crewed mission in the near future.
ISRO has continually expanded its capabilities, from satellite technology and remote sensing to interplanetary exploration. The organization has played a crucial role in various applications such as communication, weather forecasting, disaster management, and scientific research, making India a significant player in the global space community.
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