History of ISRO

1920-1967

Formative Years

  • 1950: Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) founded with Bhabha as secretary DAE funded space research across India
  • Ongoing tests on meteorology and Earth's magnetic field Colaba Observatory established in 1823 for magnetic field studies
  • 1954: Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) founded in Himalayan foothills
  • 1957: Rangpur Observatory established at Osmania University, Hyderabad Government of India promoted space research
1970-1980

INCOSPAR was superseded by ISRO

  • Under the government of Indira Gandhi, INCOSPAR was superseded by ISRO.
  • Later in 1972, a space commission and Department of Space (DoS) were set up to oversee space technology development in India specifically.
  • ISRO was brought under DoS, institutionalising space research in India and forging the Indian space programme into its existing form
  • India joined the Soviet Interkosmos programme for space cooperation and got its first satellite Aryabhatta in orbit through a Soviet rocket.
1990

The arrival of PSLV

  • PSLV arrival in the 1990s greatly boosted the Indian space program.
  • PSLV had a streak of over 50 successful flights, launching low Earth orbit and GTO satellites.
  • GSLV development was underway alongside PSLV.
  • India initially attempted to acquire cryogenic engines from Russia but faced US opposition.
  • Imported KVD-1 engines from Russia under a limited success agreement.
  • Indigenous cryogenic technology development began in 1994, taking two decades to succeed.
  • A new agreement with Russia secured seven KVD-1 cryogenic stages with no tech transfer.
  • These engines were used for initial GSLV Mk.1 flights.
  • ISRO faced US sanctions from May 6, 1992, to May 6, 1994.
2022

21st century

  • In 2003, PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee urged space tech development for lunar missions.
  • Chandrayaan-1 launched in 2008 to verify lunar water presence.
  • Mars Orbiter Mission launched in 2013, first Asian spacecraft to enter Martian orbit.
  • Cryogenic upper stage for GSLV became operational.
  • India became the sixth country with full launch capabilities.
  • Heavier-lift launcher LVM3 introduced in 2014 for larger payloads and human space missions.
  • On August 23, 2023, India achieved its first successful lunar south pole soft landing with Chandrayaan-3, becoming the first nation to do so.
  • Chandrayaan-3 marked a world-first successful soft landing near the lunar south pole.