Indian Space Research Organisation

We are the Indian Space Research Organisation, known around the world as ISRO. Our official beginning was on August 15th, 1969, but our journey truly started seven years earlier. In 1962, a group called the Indian National Committee for Space Research, or INCOSPAR, was formed. At the heart of this effort was our founder, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai. He held a powerful vision for our future. He believed that the advanced tools of space technology should not be a luxury, but a powerful force used to aid the development of India. His goal was for us to harness the potential of space to directly improve the lives of people across the country, from farmers in small villages to scientists in modern laboratories.

Our first ventures into space were careful and calculated steps. We began not with giant rockets, but with smaller, focused experiments. In 1963, we launched our very first sounding rocket from Thumba, a small fishing village chosen for its ideal location near the magnetic equator. These rockets were not designed to go into orbit, but to carry scientific instruments high into the upper atmosphere to study its properties. A dozen years later, our scientists and engineers had built our nation’s very first satellite, which we named Aryabhata after a famous ancient Indian astronomer. At this time, we had mastered building a satellite, but we had not yet developed a rocket powerful enough to carry it into space. So, we formed a partnership, and on April 19th, 1975, the Soviet Union launched Aryabhata for us. This collaboration was a huge learning experience, teaching us invaluable lessons about spacecraft design, launch coordination, and in-orbit operations.

After the success of Aryabhata, our next major goal was to achieve self-reliance. We wanted to launch our own satellites from our own land, using our own rockets. This was an immense technological challenge that required years of dedicated work. We developed our first launch vehicle, the Satellite Launch Vehicle-3, or SLV-3. The path to success is rarely a straight line, and our first attempt in 1979 ended in failure. While disappointing, this event was not a final defeat; instead, we treated it as a critical lesson. Our teams analyzed what went wrong, corrected the mistakes, and prepared for another attempt. On July 18th, 1980, our hard work paid off. An SLV-3 rocket successfully lifted off and placed the Rohini satellite into orbit. This moment was a major achievement for us and for our country, making India only the sixth nation in the world to possess its own satellite launch capability.

With the proven ability to launch our own spacecraft, we began to set our sights on destinations far beyond Earth’s orbit. Our explorations of the solar system began with the Moon. In 2008, we launched our first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1. The orbiter carried a suite of instruments from different countries, and together they made a groundbreaking discovery: they found direct evidence of water molecules on the Moon's surface. This finding changed scientists' understanding of the Moon. Five years later, in 2013, we embarked on an even more ambitious journey with the Mars Orbiter Mission, which the world came to know as Mangalyaan. With this mission, we made space exploration history. We became the first nation ever to successfully reach the orbit of Mars on its very first attempt. Furthermore, we accomplished this incredible feat with a remarkably efficient budget, demonstrating our commitment to innovative and cost-effective engineering.

While exploring distant worlds captures the imagination, we have never forgotten Dr. Sarabhai's primary mission: using space to help people on Earth. Over the decades, we have launched hundreds of satellites that serve India every single day. Our Indian National Satellite System, or INSAT series, is a cornerstone of the country's infrastructure. These satellites provide essential services for telecommunication, allow for television broadcasting to reach remote areas, and give meteorologists the data they need for accurate weather forecasting. Alongside them, our Indian Remote Sensing, or IRS, satellites act as our eyes in the sky. They constantly monitor our planet, providing crucial information that helps with sustainable agriculture, the management of precious water resources, and, critically, giving early warnings for natural disasters like cyclones, which can save many lives.

Our journey of discovery and service is far from over. In 2019, our second lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, successfully placed another advanced orbiter around the Moon, and it continues to send back a wealth of valuable scientific data. Looking ahead, we are deep in preparation for our Gaganyaan mission, an ambitious program that aims to send Indian astronauts, called Vyomanauts, into space aboard an Indian spacecraft. This will mark a new chapter in our history. At the same time, we have become a trusted partner for many other countries, regularly launching their satellites into orbit and contributing to global space science and cooperation. Our story is one of continuous learning, persistent innovation, and reaching for the stars, always with the goal of bringing the benefits of that journey back to Earth for all.