Indian Space Research Organisation
From Freepedia
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is India's national space agency. With its headquarters in Bangalore, the ISRO employs approximately 17,000 employees. Its mandate is towards the development of technologies related to space and their applications towards India's development. The current Chairman of ISRO is G. Madhavan Nair.
Contents |
History
ISRO was founded in 1969 under the Department of Atomic Energy and continued under the Space Commission and Department of Space created in the June of 1972. India's and ISRO's first foray into space began with the launch of its first satellite Aryabhata in 1975 by a Soviet booster. The first domestic launch was in 1980.
Dr. Vikram Sarabhai is the founding father of the ISRO and thus the Indian space program.
ISRO centres
A list of centres related to ISRO:
- Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)
- ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC)
- Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR)
- Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC)
- Space Applications Centre (SAC)
- Development and Educational Communication Unit (DECU)
- ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC)
- INSAT Master Control Facility (MCF)
- ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU)
- National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA)
- Regional Remote Sensing Service Centres (RRSSC)
- Physical Research Laboratory (PRL)
- National Mesosphere/Stratosphere Troposphere Radar Facility (NMRF)
Major achievements
- 1962: Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR); formed by the Department of Atomic Energy, and work on establishing Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) near Trivandrum began.
- 1963: First sounding rocket launched from TERLS on November 21, 1963.
- 1965: Space Science & Technology Centre (SSTC) established in Thumba.
- 1967: Satellite Telecommunication Earth Station set up at Ahmedabad.
- 1972: Space Commission and Department of Space set up.
- 1975: First Indian Satellite, Aryabhata, launched (April 19, 1975).
- 1976: Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) conducted.
- 1979: Bhaskara-1, an experimental satellite launched. First experimental launch of SLV-3 with Rohini satellite on board failed.
- 1980: Second experimental launch of SLV-3 Rohini satellite successfully placed in orbit.
- 1981: APPLE, an experimental geostationary communication satellite successfully launched on June 19.
- 1981: Bhaskara-II launched on November 20.
- 1982: INSAT-1A launched (April); deactivated in September.
- 1983: Second launch of SLV-3. RS-D2 placed in orbit. INSAT-1B launched.
- 1984: Indo-Soviet manned space mission (April). Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to reach space.
- 1987: ASLV with SROSS-1 satellite on board launched.
- 1988: First Indian remote sensing satellite, IRS-1A launched. INSAT-1C launched (July). Abandoned in November.
- 1990: INSAT-1D launched successfully.
- 1991: Launch of second operational Remote Sensing satellite, IRS-1B (August).
- 1992: Third developmental launch of ASLV with SROCC-C on board (May). Satellite placed in orbit. First indigenously built satellite INSAT-2A launched successfully.
- 1993: INSAT-2B launched in July successfully. First developmental launch of PSLV with IRS-1E on board fails.
- 1994: Fourth developmental launch of ASLV successful (May). Second developmental launch of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) with IRS-P2 successfully (October).
- 1995: INSAT-2C launched in December. Third operational IRS (IRS) launched.
- 1996: Third developmental launch of PSLV with IRS-P3 successful (March).
- 1997: INSAT-2D launched in June becomes inoperational in October. Arabsat1C, since renamed INSAT-2DT, acquired in November. First operational launch of PSLV with IRS]]-1D successful (September).
- 1998: INSAT system capacity augmented with the readiness of INSAT-2DT acquired from Arabsat (January).
- 1999: INSAT-2E the last satellite in the multi-purpose INSAT-2 series, launched by Ariane from Kourou French Guyana (April 3, 1999). IRS-P4 (OCEANSAT), launched by Polar Satellite launch vehicle (PSLV-C2) along with Korean KITSAT-3 and German DCR-TUBSAT from Sriharikota (26 May, 1999).
- 2000: INSAT-3B was launched on 22 March, 2000.
- 2001: Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-D1 (GDLV-D1), the first developmental launch of GSLV with GSAT-1 onboard partially successful.
- 2002: INSAT-3C launced successfully by Arianespace (January), PSLV-C4 launches KALPANA-1 (September).
- 2003: GSLV-D2, the second developmental launch of GSLV with GSAT-2 successful (May).
- 2004: First operational flight of GSLV (F1) successfully launches EDUSAT (September).
- 2005: Launch of CARTOSAT and HAMSAT by PSLV-C6 from the second launch pad (Universal Launch Pad) (May).
Satellites
Since its formation, ISRO has launched numerous satellites. Satellite arrays include IRS (Indian Remote Sensing) satellite series, INSAT (Indian National Satellite) series (in Geo-Stationary orbit), GSAT series (launched using GSLV) and METSAT 1 (launched by PSLV).
INSAT series
- Main article Indian National Satellite System
The Insat series of satellites include the 1 (A,B,C,D), 2 (A,B,C,D/DT) and 3 (A,B,C,D,E) series. They provide Communication and Television relay services all over India. Most of these satellites were launched by the Arianespace for ISRO, the latest being INSAT 3E. ISRO also plans to launch the next generation of INSAT satellities, INSAT 4A and 4B, by 2005-06.[1]
IRS series
- Main article Indian Remote Sensing satellite
The IRS series provide remote sensing services and are composed of the 1 (A,B,C,D). The future versions are named based on their area of application including OceanSat, CartoSat, ResourceSat. Some of the satellites have alternate designations based on the launch number and vehicle (P series for PSLV). ISRO and the Department of Space (India) have jointly formed Antrix Corp Ltd, for promoting and marketing IRS satellites.
METSAT/Kalpana series
METSAT or Meteorological Satellite, is the first satellite built by ISRO to provide meteorological information and data. In 2003, METSAT was renamed as Kalpana in honour of the late astronaut Kalpana Chawla. METSAT 2/Kalpana 2 is expected to be launched by 2007.[2]
Technology Experiment Satellite
As the name suggests, Technology Experiment Satellite is an expermental satellite aimed primarily to fulfill the role of spy satellite. The satellite has the capability to detect moving vehicles that are more than a metre long becoming the second such satellite next only to US spy satellites with such a high resolution [3]. The Kargil War prompted the rapid inclusion of a dedicated espionage satellite. It was first used to produce images of Iraqi military installations that were destroyed after US invasion in 2003.
Future plans
ISRO has began the development of a mission to the Moon, named Chandrayan Astrosat. It will be India's first step towards exploration of deep space. In 2005, the Indian government approved 364 crore (3,640,000,000) Indian rupees for the planned moon mission expected to be launched by 2008. ISRO has teamed with European Space Agency for technological and financial support. If the mission goes as planned, ISRO would be the fourth space agency in the world, after NASA, European Space Agency and the Soviet Space Agency, to have sent an un-manned mission to the Moon. After the recent successful missions of CARTOSAT-1, HAMSAT and EDUSAT, ISRO has started the development of the next launch vehicle versions mainly the GSLV (with an indigenous cryogenic engine capable of launching satellites weighing upto 7 tons in the final configuration). ISRO will also be launching various satellites for European and Russian space programs including Agile and GLONASS.
ISRO also plans to launch payloads SRE-1 and GSAT-4 over the next couple of years.[4]
Launch vehicles
- Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) - An all solid four stage satellite launch vehicle built as a proof of launch capabilities. Its payloads were mainly the Rohini Satellites.
- Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle(ASLV) - An all solid four stage satellite launch vehicle. Its payloads mainly included Streched Rohini Satellite Series (SROSS) satellites.
- Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)- a five stage booster with liquid and solid stages. The main stage is one of the largest solid rocket boosters in the world. The PLSV can place 1200 kg into Polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO).
- Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)- a four stage booster with liquid and solid stages. The GSLV can place 2000 kg into Geo-synchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
Edusat is a mammoth effort by ISRO to modernise the education system in rural as well as urban India. Mr. Vilas Palsule, Sr. Scientist from ISRO - Ahmedabad has done remarkable work in this project.
Launch facilities
ISRO operates 3 launch stations:
- Thumba (TERLS - Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station/Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, Kerala (10 miles to Trivandrum)),
- Shriharikota (SRLS - Shriharikota Rocket Launching Station/Satish Dhawan Space Center, Andhra Pradesh).
- The Shriharikota range is used for launch of satellites and multi-stage rockets. The launch station, has two launch pads including the newest Universal Launch Pad. The two launch pads allow the station to hold upto 6 launches per year.
- Balasore (Balasore Rocket Launching Station (BRLS), Orissa).
International sanctions
Early cooperation with the Russian Federation in booster development was opposed by the United States on non-proliferation grounds. The latter threatened sanctions on ISRO and Russian space organization, Glavkosmos, to prevent rocket engine technology transfers. Under pressure, Glavkomos agreed to sell cryogenic liquid rocket engines excluding the transfer of associated manufacturing and design technology to India. Consequently, India has developed its own robust technology and research capability. ISRO still uses Russian technology for cryogenic stages on the GSLV, but it is being replaced by its own designs.
References
External links
| National Space Programmes | ||
| Human spaceflight : USSR / Russia | United States | China (PRC) | ||
| Brazil | Canada | Europe ( France, Germany, Italy) | Japan | India | South Korea | Taiwan (ROC) | Ukraine | ||
