INSAT System: The Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system has grown as one of the largest domestic communications satellite constellations in the Asian region. Established in 1983 with the commissioning of INSAT-1B, it initiated a major revolution in India’s communications sector and sustained the same later. The system has been periodically augmented with the launch of INSAT/GSAT communication satellites. INSAT system has been instrumental in bringing the benefits of space technology to the doorsteps of common man through its services to telecommunications, television broadcasting, satellite news gathering, societal applications, weather forecasting, disaster warning and search and rescue operations, tele-medicine and Village Resource Centres in the country.
PSLV- India’s Workhorse Launch Vehicle: Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), with a proven track record of 50 flights (as on December, 2019), has provided the country the crucial autonomy in ‘access to space’. The versatile third generation launch vehicle equipped with liquid stageshas been successfully used for launching lighter communication and navigation satellites into GTO, apart from launching remote sensing satellites to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Interplanetary missions. PSLV successfully launched two spacecraft- Chandrayaan-1 (India’s first lunar exploration mission) in 2008 and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft (India’s first interplanetary mission) in 2013- that later travelled to Moon and Mars respectively.
GSLV: Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) is an expendable launch system operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). GSLV MkIII (Largest launch vehicle of ISRO), chosen to launch Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft, is a three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle developed by ISRO. The vehicle has two solid strap-ons, a core liquid booster and a cryogenic upper stage.
GSLV Mk III is designed to carry 4 ton class of satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) or about 10 tons to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which is about twice the capability of the GSLV Mk II.
India’s Mission to Moon: India’s maiden moon exploration mission ‘Chandrayaan-1’ was launched in October 2008 for mapping the lunar surface with high resolution remote sensing and study the chemical and mineralogical composition of the entire lunar surface. India launched its second Lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, in July, 2019.
Space Capsule Recovery: India achieved a significant milestone in 2007 with the success of Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE-1) which established India’s technological capability to recover an orbiting satellite with precise re-entry trajectories.
Indian Cryogenic Engine and Stage: India successfully flight tested indigenous cryogenic stage onboard Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D5) on January 5, 2014. GSLV is capable of placing 4 tonnes class communication satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and India is one among six countries in the world to demonstrate such launch capability to GTO with the use of complex cryogenic technology.
Remote Sensing and National Natural Resource Management System: The Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS) System is one of the largest constellations of remote sensing satellites in operation in the world today. It provides inputs for management of natural resources and various developmental projects across the country using space based imagery.
Mars Orbiter Mission: The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also called Mangalyaan, is a space probe orbiting Mars since 24 September 2014 and recently completed five years in Martian orbit. It was launched on 5 November 2013 by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was India’s first interplanetary mission and ISRO has also become the fourth space agency to reach Mars, after the Soviet space program, NASA, and the European Space Agency. It is the first Asian nation to reach Mars orbit, and the first nation in the world to do so in its first attempt. Mars Orbiter Mission is mainly intended to establish the Indian technological capability to reach Martian orbit and to explore Mars morphology, mineralogy and Martian atmosphere by indigenous scientific instruments.
Satellite Navigation: Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) called NavIC, is being developed by India. It is designed to provide accurate position information service to users in India as well as the region extending up to 1500 km from its boundary, which is its primary service area. IRNSS will provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Service (SPS) which is provided to all the users and Restricted Service (RS), which is an encrypted service provided only to the authorised users. In addition, ISRO and Airports Authority of India (AAI) have implemented the GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation-GAGAN project as a Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) for the Indian Airspace. The objective of GAGAN to establish, deploy and certify satellite based augmentation system for safety-of-life civil aviation applications in India has been successfully completed.
International Co-operation: International cooperation has been a part of Indian space programme since inception. It is a strategic area because relationships with other countries are influenced by scientific and technological factors. ISRO is pursuing bilateral and multilateral relations with space agencies and space related bodies with the aim of building and strengthening existing ties between countries; taking up new scientific and technological challenges; refining space policies and defining international frameworks for exploitation and utilization of outer space for peaceful purposes. During 2019, 50 foreign satellites from seven countries were launched by ISRO on commercial basis.
