ISRO: Its Origin, Roles, Important Missions, Launch Vehicles, & More

PWOnlyIAS January 10, 2024 01:00 1121 0

ISRO was set up initially in 1962 as the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), based on the suggestions of Dr Vikram Sarabhai.

ISRO: Its Origin, Roles, Important Missions, Launch Vehicles, & More

Context: ISRO’s maiden Sun mission, Aditya L1, carried out a maneuver to enter its final orbit and reach its intended destination.

About ISRO: ISRO Full Form, Origin, and Features

ISRO Full Form: Indian Space Research Organisation.
Origin: ISRO was set up initially in 1962 as the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), based on the suggestions of Dr Vikram Sarabhai.
- In 1969, INCOSPAR was remodeled as ISRO to work within the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). In 1972, the Government of India institutionalized space research activities in India by setting up the Space Commission and the DoS.
- ISRO is India’s national space agency and acts as a primary research and development arm of the Department of Space (DoS).
Primary Role: ISRO has the primary role of performing tasks related to space-based operations, space exploration, international space cooperation, and the development of related technologies.
Major Features of ISRO

- Full Launch Capabilities: ISRO is one among the six government space agencies in the world that possesses full launch capabilities.
- Extra-terrestrial Missions: ISRO possesses the capability to launch extraterrestrial missions.
- Operate Artificial Satellites: ISRO has developed the ability to launch and operate a large number of artificial satellites.
- Soft-landing Capability: Through the Chandrayaan-3 mission, ISRO has shown its ability to make soft-landing.

Launch Vehicles of ISRO: PSLV, SSLV, and GSLV

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle: PSLV is the four-stage third-generation launch vehicle of India and the first one to be equipped with liquid stages.
- Since its debut in October 1994, PSLV emerged as a reliable and versatile launch vehicle by launching spacecrafts such as Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in 2013.
Small Satellite Launch Vehicle: It is a three-stage 3 stage Launch Vehicle with three Solid Propulsion Stages and liquid propulsion based Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) as the final stage.
- SSLV is known for its low cost, low turn-around time, flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, launch on demand feasibility, minimal launch infrastructure requirements, etc.
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle: It is a three-stage vehicle used for launching communication satellites in geo transfer orbit using cryogenic third stage.

Research Facilities of ISRO

Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre: Located in Thiruvananthapuram, the centre is the base for developing of the SLV-3, ASLV, and PSLV series. It is also developing the GSLV series.
Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre: Located in Thiruvananthapuram, it is responsible for handling design, development, testing and implementation of liquid propulsion control packages, liquid stages and liquid engines for launch vehicles and satellites.
National Atmospheric Research Laboratory: It is located in Tirupati and carries out fundamental and applied research in atmospheric and space sciences.
Space Applications Centre: It is located in Ahmedabad and works towards practical use of space technology in the fields of geodesy, satellite based telecommunications, surveying, remote sensing, meteorology, environment monitoring etc.
North-Eastern Space Applications Centre: Located in Shillong, the centre supports North East India by undertaking specific application projects using remote sensing, GIS, satellite communication and conducting space science research.
Physical Research Laboratory: Situated in Ahmedabad, the lab carries out research in planetary physics, infrared astronomy, geo-cosmo physics, plasma physics, astrophysics, archaeology, and hydrology.

Construction Facilities of ISRO

U R Rao Satellite Centre: Located in Bengaluru, it is one of the main satellite technology bases of ISRO and serves as a facility for implementing indigenous spacecraft in India.
Satish Dhawan Space Centre: Located in Sriharikota, the facility acts as a launching site for India’s satellites and also houses India’s largest Solid Propellant Space Booster Plant (SPROB) and the Static Test and Evaluation Complex (STEX).
Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems: It is located in Bengaluru and is responsible for the development of altitude sensors, high-precision optics for all cameras and payloads in all ISRO satellites.
Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station: It is located in Thiruvananthapuram and is used to launch sounding rockets.

Important Missions of ISRO: Unmanned and Manned Space Missions

Aryabhata Satellite

- Aryabhata was India’s first satellite, which was completely designed and fabricated indigenously and launched by a Soviet Kosmos-3M rocket from Kapustin Yar in 1975.
- Objectives: The satellite was built for conducting experiments in X-ray astronomy, aeronomics, and solar physics.

Chandrayaan Mission
- Chandrayaan-1: The mission aimed at orbiting around the Moon at a height of 100 km from the lunar surface for chemical, mineralogical, and photo-geologic mapping of the Moon.
- Chandrayaan-2: The mission consisted of an Orbiter, Lander, and Rover to explore the unexplored South Pole of the Moon.
  - The objectives of its study included topography, seismography, mineral identification and distribution, surface chemical composition, thermo-physical characteristics of lunar soil, and composition of the lunar atmosphere.
  - The orbiter was successfully inserted into the orbit while the Vikram lander could not make a soft landing, leading to its failure.
- Chandrayaan-3: It was a follow-up mission to Chandrayaan-2 and consisted of a lander and a rover. The lander and rover were successfully deployed, making India the fourth country to make a soft-landing on the moon.
- Payloads:
  - Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE): For measuring the thermal conductivity and temperature;
  - Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA): For measuring the seismicity around the landing site;
  - Langmuir Probe (LP): For estimating the plasma density and its variations.
  - Passive Laser Retroreflector Array: Built by NASA, it would be used for lunar laser ranging studies.
  - Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS): For checking elemental composition in the vicinity of landing site.

Must Read: ISRO To Launch Chandrayaan 4 Mission

Mangalyaan Mission

- Known officially as Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), the aim of the mission was to reach Mars orbit and to study Martian surface features, morphology, mineralogy and Martian atmosphere.
- With the success of the mission, ISRO became the fourth space agency to successfully send a spacecraft to Mars orbit.

GAGAN and NavIC Satellite Navigation Systems
- ISRO and Airports Authority of India (AAI) have set up the GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) as a satellite based augmentation system (SBAS) for the navigation requirements of civil aviation.
- GAGAN provides accuracy, availability, and integrity necessary for various phases of flight, from starting to approach for all qualified airports within the GAGAN service range.
- Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) is a regional navigation satellite system that is used for the purpose of positioning, navigation and timing requirements of the nation.
- Previously known as IRNSS, the system is made up of a constellation of 7 satellites and a network of ground stations operating 24 x 7.
- Three satellites of the NavIC constellation are placed in geostationary orbit and four satellites are placed in inclined geosynchronous orbit.
- NavIC has been designed to provide two types of services – Standard Position Service (SPS) for civilian users and Restricted Service (RS) for strategic users.
- NavIC covers an area that includes India and a region up to 1500 km beyond the Indian boundary. The system is designed to provide user position accuracy better than 20m and timing accuracy of 50ns.

Gaganyaan Mission

- The Gaganyaan mission aims to demonstrate human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of 3 members to an orbit of 400 km for a 3 days mission and bring them back safely to earth, by sea landing.
- Before the actual human mission, tests such as Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT), Pad Abort Test (PAT) and Test Vehicle (TV) flights will be carried out.
- Human rated LVM 3 will be the launch vehicle for Gaganyaan mission. The launch vehicle consists of solid stage, liquid stage and cryogenic stage.

Aditya L1 Mission

- Aditya L1 will be the first space-based mission of India to the sun, involving placing the spacecraft in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is located about 1.5 million km from the Earth.
- The mission will provide a greater advantage of observing the solar activities and its effect on space weather in real time.
- Using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors, the mission will observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona).

Must Read: New Targets For ISRO: Indian Space Station By 2035

Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN–SPACe)

About: IN-SPACe is a single-window, independent, nodal agency which functions as an autonomous agency in the Department of Space (DOS), thereby facilitating private sector participation in the space sector.
Functions: The functions of IN-SPACe include the following:
- Promote, enable authorize and supervise building of launch vehicles & satellites and providing space-based services;
- Sharing of space infrastructure and premises under the control of DOS/ISRO;
- Establishment of new space infrastructure and facilities around the country;
- It will serve as a link between the ISRO and private sector companies, making efforts to make best use of India’s space resources and increase space-based activities.

About Antrix

About: Antrix is an Indian government-owned company which acts as a commercial and marketing arm of ISRO. It works under the administrative control of the Department of Space.
- Functions: Antrix is responsible for promoting ISRO’s products, services and technologies. It also provides major technical consultancy services and transfers technologies to industry.

Significance of ISRO

Studying Outer Space: ISRO is the premier agency of the Indian government that conducts study of outer space, in order to unravel the mysteries of the universe.
Space technologies for Humanity: ISRO uses space technologies such as satellite imaging, satellite communication etc for the purpose of welfare of humanity.
Access to Space: ISRO is involved in building rockets and space vehicles that help India to access space and carry out research in this regard.
Scientific Temper: ISRO is not just a space institution; it is a source of inspiration for a large number of students to pursue careers in space technologies.

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Frequently Asked Questions

ISRO is India’s national space agency and acts as a primary research and development arm of the Department of Space (DoS).

ISRO was set up initially in 1962 as the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), based on the suggestions of Dr Vikram Sarabhai.

Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota is the launching site for India's satellites and also houses India's largest Solid Propellant Space Booster Plant (SPROB) and the Static Test and Evaluation Complex (STEX).

Aryabhata was India's first satellite, which was completely designed and fabricated indigenously and launched by a Soviet Kosmos-3M rocket from Kapustin Yar in 1975.

Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) is a regional navigation satellite system that is used for the purpose of positioning, navigation, and timing requirements of the nation.

The Gaganyaan mission aims to demonstrate human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of 3 members to an orbit of 400 km for a 3-day mission and bring them back safely to earth, by sea landing.

Aditya L1 will be the first space-based mission of India to the sun, involving placing the spacecraft in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth.

Antrix is an Indian government-owned company which acts as a commercial and marketing arm of ISRO.

IN-SPACe is a single-window, independent, nodal agency which functions as an autonomous agency in the Department of Space (DOS), thereby facilitating private sector participation in the space sector.

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ISRO: Its Origin, Roles, Important Missions, Launch Vehicles, & More

About ISRO: ISRO Full Form, Origin, and Features

Major Features of ISRO

Launch Vehicles of ISRO: PSLV, SSLV, and GSLV

Research Facilities of ISRO

Construction Facilities of ISRO

Important Missions of ISRO: Unmanned and Manned Space Missions

Aryabhata Satellite

Chandrayaan Mission

Mangalyaan Mission

GAGAN and NavIC Satellite Navigation Systems

Gaganyaan Mission

Aditya L1 Mission

Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN–SPACe)

About Antrix

Significance of ISRO

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO)?

Which institution was the predecessor to the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO)?

Where is the launch facility of the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) located?

Which was the first satellite launched by the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO)?

What is NavIC?

What is the Gaganyaan Mission?

What is Aditya L1 Mission?

What is Antrix?

What is IN-SPACe?

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