Facts about Indian Space Research

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  • Indian National Committee for Space Research was established in 1962 under Dr. Vikram Sarabhai to formulate Indian Space Programme.
  • Father of the Indian space program is Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai.
  • Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was set up in 1969.
  • The Headquarters of ISRO is at Antariksh Bhavan, Bangalore.
  • Space Commission and the Department of Space were formed in 1972.
  • ISRO was brought under the Department of Space in 1972.
  • The first Rocket launching station in India is Thumba.
  • Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) was founded in Thumba in 1962.
  • The first sounding rocket launched was Nike Apache in November 21, 1963.
  • Thumba was selected for being the rocket launching station because the Geometric equator of the earth passes near to Thumba.
  • After the death of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai on December 30, 1971 the entire centre at Trivandrum was renamed as Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.
  • TERLS was officially contributed to the United Nations on February 2, 1968.
  • Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) was established for development of satellite launch vehicles and associated technologies.
  • 50th anniversary of VSSC's rocket launch was celebrated on November 21. 2013.
  • The sounding rocket launched to commemorate the 50th anniversary of VSSC's rocket launch is RH 200 (Rohini 200)
  • The Sriharikota Satellite launching station is in the state, Andhra Pradesh.
  • The Indian Space Research Organisation's launching centre at Sriharikotta has been renamed as Sathish Dhawan Space Centre.
  • The first Chairman of ISRO is Vikrarn Sarabbai.
  • The first Malayalee ISRO Chairman is MGK Menon.
  • The longest served Chairman of ISRO is Satish Dhawan.

ORGANISATIONS RELATED TO ISRO

  • Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram
  • ISRO Satellite Centre (SAC), Bangalore
  • Sathish Dhavan Space Centre, Sriharikota
  • Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Trivandrum
  • Space Application Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad
  • Development and Education Communication Unit (DECU), Ahmedabad
  • ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bangalore
  • Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad
  • Balasore Rocket Launching Station, Orissa
  • Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), Thiruvananthapuram
  • National Remote sensing Centre, Hyderabad

ANTRIX CORPORATION-LTD

  • Antrix Corporation Limited is a wholly owned Government of India Company under the Administrative Control of the Department of Space.
  • Antrix Corporation was founded in 1992.
  • Headquarters of Antrix Corporation is at Bangalore.
  • Antrix Corporation is engaged in providing space products and services to International customers worldwide.

Indian Satellite

  • India's first satellite is Aryabhata.
  • Aryabhata was launched by the Soviet Union on 19th April 1975. (from Baikonour Cosmodrome)
  • India's first low orbit earth observation satellite is Bhaskara 1.
  • Bhaskara 1 was launched on 7th June 1979 (by the Soviet Union).
  • Bhaskara 2 was launched on November 20, 1981 (by Soviet Union).
  • First Satellite launched from India is Rohini (launched from Sriharikota).
  • Rohini is the name given to a series of satellites launched by the ISRO. The Rohini series consisted of four satellites.
  • India's first communication satellite is APPLE (Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment).
  • APPLE was launched on June 1981 (from French Guyana).
  • INSAT or Indian National Satellite System is a sequence of versatile geostationary satellite introduced by ISRO to suit the telecommunication, distribution, meteorology, exploration and rescue operations.
  • The Stretched Rohini Satellite Series (SROSS) are succession of satellites built by ISRO to the Rohini Satellites.
  • TES is a innovative satellite to exhibit and verify in orbit.
  • TES was launched on October 22nd 2001 using the PSLV C-3 from SHAR.
  • The launch of Technology Experiment Satellite made India the second country in the world after the US that can commercially offer images with 1 metre resolution.
  • The first dedicated meteorological satellite of India is Kalpana 1.
  • Kalpana 1 was launched on 12th September 2002.
  • It was originally known as METSAT-1. It was renamed to Kalpana 1 in memory of Kalpana Chowla who perished in the space shuttle Columbia disaster.
  • The first Indian Satellite to study about Ocean is Oceansat (May 26. 1999).
  • The first Indian Cartosat Series of Satellite is Cartosat -1 (5 May, 2005).
  • First operational remote sensing satellite is IRS - 1A (launched on 17 March 1988)
  • First indigenous all weather radar imaging satellite is RISAT -1 (26 April 2012).
  • First high tech spy satellite of India is RISAT -1.
  • India's heaviest Satellite is GSAT -10 (September 29. 2012)
  • Indian Communication Satellite launched in January 5, 2014 on GSLV D5 Vehicle is GSAT – 14.
  • The first military satellite of India is GSAT -7 (August 30. 2013).
  • First nano satellite of India is Jugnu (2011 October 11).
  • Jugnu was designed by ISRO and the faculty and students of Kanpur.
  • The joint satellite mission of India and France to study the water cycle in the tropical atmosphere in the context of climate change is Megha-Tropiques (October 2011).
  • The first satellite developed by an Indian University is Anusat (April 20, 2009).
  • Anusat was developed by Anna University, Tamil Nadu.
  • India's first space Capsule Recovery Experiment Vehicle is SRE -1 (January 10, 2007).
  • First Indian satellite to provide DTH Service is INSAT -4A (December 22, 2005).
  • First multipurpose satellite indigenously built by India is INSAT -2A (August 1992).
  • The satellite based navigation system being developed by ISRO in collaboration with Airport Authority of India is GAGAN (GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation System).
  • The earth orbiting satellite located at an elevation of around 35000 kilometers directly over the equator, that orbits in the same direction the earth spins is Geostationary Satellite.
  • Geostationary Satellite are widely used in Communication Networks.
  • The first Indian Satellite erected completely to benefit the educational sector is EDUSAT.
  • EDUSAT was launched on 20th September 2004.
  • The first educational satellite of the world is EDUSAT.
  • The first Picosatellite of the country, in addition to the smallest satellite launched is STUDSAT.
  • The communication satellites launched by India are GSAT-6 & 6A, GSAT-11, GSAT-15, GSAT-16.

Chandrayaan

  • India's first unmanned lunar probe is Chandrayaan -1.
  • Chandrayaan -1 was launched on 22nd October 2008.
  • It runs for 312 days as contrasting to the planned two years but the mission attained 95% of its intended objectives.
  • Chandrayaan -1 was launched from Satish Dawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta.
  • The vehicle used for launching Chandrayaan is PSLV C- 11.
  • The vehicle was victoriously inserted into lunar orbit on 8th November 2008.
  • The presence of water on the moon was discovered by MIP (Moon Impact Probe).
  • The probe impacted near Shackleton Crater.
  • The project Director of Chandrayaan 1 is M. Annadurai.
  • The ISRO chairman at the time of launching Chandrayaan 1 is G. Madhavan Nair.
  • End of the mission is in 28th August 2009.
  • India has become the fifth country after USA, Russia, China, France to reach the lunar surface.
  • Chandrayaan-2 is the second lunar exploration operation of the ISRO after Chandrayaan-1.
  • Chandrayaan-2 was launched on its mission to the Moon on 22 July 2019.
  • Due to the failure of Chandrayaan-2, ISRO may re-attempt Chandrayaan-3 by 2021.

The Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan)

  • Mars Orbiter was launched on 5th November 2013.
  • India's first inter planatary mission is Mangalyaan.
  • First Asian country to launch Mars Mission successfully is India.
  • Mangalyaan was launched from Satish Dawan Space Centre.
  • The vehicle used to launch Mangalyaan is PSLV C-25.
  • World's cheapest (low cost) Mars Mission is Mangalyaan.
  • ISRO chairman at the time of launching of Mangalyaan is Dr. K. Radhakrishnan.
  • The first nation to reach Mars Orbit on its first attempt is India.
  • The spacecraft successfully entered Martian Orbit on 24 September 2014.
  • VSSC chairman at the time of launching of Mangalyaan is S. Ramakrishnan.
  • Programme director of Mangalyaan is M. Annadurai.
  • Project Director of Mangalyaan is S. Arunan.
  • India became the fourth space agency after Soviet, NASA and European Space Agency to reach Mars.

Important Launch Vehicles

  • Launch Vehicles are used to transport and put satellite and spacecraft into space.
  • Important launch vehicles of ISRO are SLV, ASLV, PSLV, GSLV
  • SLV - Satellite Launch Vehicle
  • ASLV - Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle
  • PSLV - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
  • GSLV - Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
  • The launch vehicles of ISRO under development are GSLV MK III, AVTAR – RLV.
  • AVTAR - Aerobic Vehicle for Trans atmospheric Hypersonic Aerospace
  • RLV - Reusable Launch Vehicle
  • The first experimental satellite launch vehicle of India is SLV -3 (1980).
  • ISRO's first attempt to design and develop an operational vehicle that can be used to orbit application satellite is PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle)

Indians in Space

  • First Indian to travel in space is Rakesh Sharma (1984 April 2).
  • The Spacecraft that carried Rakesh Sharma to Space is Soyuz T-11.
  • The Orbital Station in which Rakesh Sharma spend 7 days is Salyut 7.
  • First Indian Women (Indian Origin) in Space is Kalpana Chawla (1997).
  • The space shuttle disaster in which Kalpana Chawla died on February 1, 2003 is Columbia.
  • The first meteorological satellite of India renamed as Kalpana -1 was Metsat.
  • Colombia memorial station is in the planet, Mars.
  • The birth place of Kalpana Chawla is Karnal (Haryana).
  • ‘The whole universe is my native land’ was said by Kalpana Chawla.
  • The second Indian Origin woman in space is Sunitha Williams.
  • The longest single space flight by a woman is Sunitha Williams (195 days).
  • Most space walks by woman is Sunitha Williams (7 space walks for a total time of 50 hours and 40 minutes).
  • First Indian Space tourist is Santhosh George Kulangara.

IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System)

  • The first navigation satellite of India is IRNSS -1 A launched on July1, 2013 on the vehicle, PSLV C22.
  • The second satellite launched in the IRNSS series is IRNSS - 1B launched in April 4, 2014 on the vehicle, PSLN - C24.
  • The third satellite launched in the IRNSS series is IRNSS 1C launched on 16 October 2014 on the vehicle, PSLV C 26.
  • The other satellites in the IRNSS series to be launched in future are IRNSS - 1D, IRNSS 1E, IRNNS 1F, IRNSS 1G.

Future Programmes of ISRO

  • Third Moon Mission of ISRO is Chandrayan 3.
  • The multi wavelength astronomy mission aimed at studying the celestial sources is ASTROSAT 2.
  • The scientific mission of ISRO for solar studies is Aditya -L1.

Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST)

  • First Space Institute in Asia, IIST is located at : Valiamala (Thiruvananthapuram).
  • IIST was established in 2007.
  • Chancellor of IIST is Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

100th Space Mission of ISRO

  • 100th Space Mission of ISRO is PSLV - C21 launched on September 9, 2012.
  • The satellite launched by PSLV - C21 is SPOT -6 of France & Proiteres of Japan.
  • The heaviest foreign satellite ever to have been launched by ISRO is SPOT -6.
  • 101th Space Mission of India is PSLV - C20, launched on 2013 February 25.
  • PSLV - C20 put Indo French satellite SARAL and six other satellites into orbit.