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Space & Astronomy15 Concepts & Facts

ISRO Space Missions: Chandrayaan, Aditya-L1 & PSLV Rockets

The Indian space program was initiated under the vision of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai with the establishment of the Indian National Committee for Space Research in 1962 under the Department of Atomic Energy. The Indian Space Research Organisation was formally created on August 15, 1969, and placed under the newly formed Department of Space in 1972, headquartered in Bengaluru. Primary launch infrastructure was established at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. India achieved its inaugural orbital milestone on April 19, 1975, when the Aryabhata satellite was launched using a Soviet Kosmos-3M rocket from Kapustin Yar, laying the foundation for autonomous satellite fabrication and satellite-based telecommunications, meteorology, and remote sensing.

Planetary exploration commenced with Chandrayaan-1 in October 2008, whose Moon Impact Probe and Moon Mineralogy Mapper detected water molecules across the lunar surface. The Mars Orbiter Mission, launched in November 2013 by PSLV-C25, successfully entered Martian orbit on its maiden attempt in September 2014, establishing India as the first Asian nation to reach Mars. Although the Chandrayaan-2 lander suffered a hard touchdown in 2019, its orbiter continues to gather high-resolution lunar mapping data. On August 23, 2023, Chandrayaan-3 achieved a soft landing near the lunar south pole, deploying the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover at the designated Shiv Shakti Point. In recognition of this achievement, the Government of India declared August 23 as National Space Day.

Expanding into solar physics, ISRO launched Aditya-L1 in September 2023, placing it in a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 to investigate coronal heating, coronal mass ejections, and space weather phenomena. The organization is currently executing the Gaganyaan project, aimed at sending a crew of Indian astronauts to Low Earth Orbit aboard a human-rated Launch Vehicle Mark 3. Mission parameters, orbital insertion techniques, deep-space communication protocols, and scientific instrumentation are frequently examined in UPSC CSE General Studies Paper III (Science and Technology), CDS, CAPF, and SSC CGL examinations, reflecting India's expanding space capabilities and international scientific collaborations.
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  1. #1
    ISRO was founded on August 15, 1969, succeeding INCOSPAR established in 1962.
  2. #2
    Chandrayaan-3 achieved a historic soft landing near the lunar south pole on August 23, 2023 (celebrated as National Space Day).
  3. #3
    PSLV is known as the workhorse launch vehicle of ISRO with over 50 successful satellite deployments.
  4. #4
    Aditya-L1 was launched in September 2023 to study the solar corona, photosphere, and solar wind dynamics from the L1 halo orbit.
  5. #5
    Aryabhata, India's first unmanned satellite, was launched on April 19, 1975 from Kapustin Yar using a Soviet Kosmos-3M launch vehicle.
  6. #6
    Chandrayaan-1 was launched on October 22, 2008 aboard PSLV-C11, detecting widespread hydroxyl and water molecules on the lunar surface using the Moon Mineralogy Mapper.
  7. #7
    The Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) was launched on November 5, 2013 aboard PSLV-C25, successfully entering Martian orbit on September 24, 2014 on India's maiden attempt.
  8. #8
    GSLV Mk III (LVM3) is ISRO's heavy-lift three-stage launch vehicle capable of delivering 4,000 kg payloads to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit and 8,000 kg to Low Earth Orbit.
  9. #9
    The Gaganyaan programme aims to demonstrate indigenous human spaceflight capability by launching a three-member crew to a 400 km Low Earth Orbit for a three-day mission duration.
  10. #10
    NavIC, formerly known as IRNSS, consists of 7 operational navigation satellites providing accurate positioning services across the Indian mainland and extending 1,500 km beyond its borders.
  11. #11
    The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle features an indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage powered by the CE-20 engine using liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants.
  12. #12
    ISRO launched a record 104 satellites on a single mission aboard PSLV-C37 on February 15, 2017, including the primary cartographic payload Cartosat-2D.
  13. #13
    In March 2019, Mission Shakti successfully demonstrated India's Anti-Satellite missile capability by intercepting an active low-Earth orbit satellite in kinetic kill mode.
  14. #14
    The Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Sriharikota Island in Andhra Pradesh has functioned as India's primary orbital spaceport since its formal commissioning in October 1971.
  15. #15
    NewSpace India Limited was incorporated in March 2019 as the commercial arm of ISRO under the Department of Space to commercialize launch services and manufacturing.

Subject Specialist Commentary

Analytical perspective & practical exam advice from the Master10 academic board

Educator's Insight
India's space trajectory began in 1962 under Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and grew into the Indian Space Research Organisation in 1969. ISRO transformed India from launching sounding rockets at Thumba into a global space power. Achievements include Chandrayaan-3 landing near the lunar south pole in 2023, the Mars Orbiter Mission succeeding on its first attempt, and the Aditya-L1 solar observatory reaching the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L1.
For UPSC and SSC papers, focus on launch vehicles and mission payloads. Distinguish between the workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and the heavier Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle with its indigenous cryogenic upper stage. A regular exam trap confuses Chandrayaan-1, which confirmed water molecules on the Moon in 2008, with Chandrayaan-3, which executed the soft landing. Keep August 23 in mind as National Space Day to tackle current affairs questions accurately.

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