Those who suspect the capabilities of Indian technology and innovation are now congratulating them. The entire world is amazed by the continuous success of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and is waiting to know what is cooking inside the space agency. Through this article we are showing our gratitude on the immense achievements of ISRO and representing the precise list of those achievements. Out of so many accomplishments, here are “Top 10 Achievements Of ISRO”.
The voyage that started with a bicycle has now reached eternal space and is continuously making India proud on a global scale. The only space agency in India is responsible for the success of the soft landing on the lunar surface, and India became the fourth nation to achieve this milestone.
ISRO is constantly creating history by achieving new milestones. After the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3, it again wrote its name in golden words by launching a solar mission named “Aditya L-1”. We Indians are happy and honored with the constant achievements of ISRO and proudly sharing the ISRO Achievements in 2023 with the world.
This solar mission was launched from Sriharikota Space Centre. The Space Agency of India has carried out 92 launch missions and 124 spacecraft missions till now, and many more missions are listed in their bucket list. The latest launch of ISRO is one of the top 10 achievements of ISRO in 2023. It also created a world record by launching 104 satellites through PSLV C37. There is no doubt in saying that, in terms of efficiency, ISRO is good as compared to NASA. Now, many people want to know the “Top 10 Achievements of ISRO” and its journey “from Bicycle to Eternal Space”.
Before talking about the achievements and milestones, it is important to know about the history of the only space agency in India, ISRO.
How Did ISRO Get Its Name, and Who Founded It?
We all know that ISRO stands for the Indian Space Research Organisation, but before getting its name, ISRO was called “INCOSPAR”. So why the name change? Who suggested the name? What is the interesting story behind it? We will share everything, and you need to read every paragraph carefully so that you don’t miss out on any information. It is known that the space agency is engaged in technology, science, and engineering to cultivate the benefits of eternal space.
The National Space Agency was established in 1962 under the guidance of physicists Kalpathi Ramakrishna Ramanathan and Vikram Sarabhai. The headquarters of ISRO are in Bengaluru. As we mentioned above, at that time it was called “The Indian National Committee for Space Research” before getting its name as “Indian Space Research Organisation”. The path to reaching eternal space was not easy. When it was formed, there were no resources or funds available, and only a few scientists were involved in this organization. However, the vision was pretty clear, and the team of scientists knew what they wanted and how they would make India proud in global space.
The first rocket of INCOSPAR was launched in 1963, and you will be surprised to know that the parts of the rocket were transported by bicycle due to a lack of funding. In 1969, the National Space Agency of India got its name as ISRO. After 3 years, the government of India formed the Department of Space (DoS) and a Space Commission. Aryabhata was the first satellite constructed by ISRO, and it was launched in 1975 by Interkosmos, a space agency of the Soviet Union. Since then, the scientists of ISRO have never turned back and have achieved several milestones and made India proud. The list of triumphs is long, and we have a shortage of time, so we are sharing only a few of them.
Top 10 Achievements Of ISRO: From Bicycle To The Eternal Space
1. First Rocket Launched By India
In 1963, INCOSPAR launched its very first rocket into the cosmos. The first sounding rocket was launched on November 21, 1963, from Thumba, Kerala. This fishing village is near Thiruvananthapuram. This launch marked the start of the Indian Space Program. At that time, the former President of India, Dr. APJ Adbul Kalam, was part of the team. INCOSPAR was one among the top 10 achievements of ISRO.
2. Launch Of The First Satellite
After successfully launching the first sounding rocket, it was time to launch India’s first satellite. The first satellite got its name after the name of the popular astronomer of India, Aryabhata. From making to designing, everything occurred in India. The Aryabhata satellite was launched on April 19, 1975.
3. Satellite Launch Vehicles (SLV)
The project of a small-lift launch vehicle was begun in the early 1970s. The vision of this project is to create the technology required to launch satellites. The first trial of SLV occurred in 1979, but unfortunately, it failed. However, on July 18, 1980, ISRO had its first successful launch. It was the beginning of the achievements of India, as this launch made India the 7th country to reach the orbit of Earth. This launch was held under the leadership of APJ Abdul Kalam. Satellite Launch Vehicles were the among from top 10 achievements of ISRO.
4. Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV)
The cost of these space shuttles was quite low as compared to the previous one and the reason for its development was to cut down the heavy costs. The other vision was to make it reusable. The cost of RLV was around Rs. 95 Crores.
5. Indian National Satellite System (INSAT) Series
In April 1982, the first satellite, INSAT-1A, was launched, but the attempt failed and it was not able to complete the mission. Later on, in August 1983, INSAT-1B was launched, and it was a successful mission. It is used to satisfy the broadcasting, search, telecommunications, rescue, and meteorology needs of India. In the Asia-Pacific region, it was the largest domestic communication system. INSAT was the among from top 10 achievements of ISRO.
6. Mars Orbiter Mission
Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), unofficially known by the name Mangalyaan, ISRO launched this mission on November 5, 2013. This was the first interplanetary mission by India. The reason this ISRO mission is on the list of achievements is that it was the first attempt in India and made India the very first country in the world to be successful in it. The Mangalyaan was launched on November 5, 2013, and the budget of this ISRO mission was Rs 450 crore. In 2014, ISRO was successful in its first attempt to reach Mars. It was the among top 10 achievements of ISRO.
7. A) Chandrayaan
This programme is also known by the other name “Indian Lunar Exploration Programme”. It was the first space mission launched in 2008. It is one of the best achievements of ISRO to date. Chandrayaan-1 auspiciously orbited the moon and made many important discoveries that helped India understand the moon. With the help of this ISRO mission, we found traces of water on the moon.
B) Chandrayaan-2
It is the second lunar exploration ISRO mission, after the success of Chadrayaan-1. In July 2019, ISRO sent a lander (Vikram), a rover (Pragyan), and an orbiter to the Moon. However, this attempt was a partial success, and the orbiter continued to work. The vision of this ISRO mission was to study the topography, elemental abundance, lunar exosphere, mineralogy, and signs of water ice. The reason for its unsuccess was shared by K. Sivan, the former Chairman of ISRO. According to him, the mission failed due to a small error but it was a part of Chandrayaan 3 which makes it successful. Chandrayaan is a part of top 10 achievements of ISRO.
C) Chandrayaan 3
The world has witnessed the success of Chandrayaan-3. After detecting the failure of Chandrayaan-2, ISRO finally made it possible to have a soft landing on the lunar surface. This historic moment occurred on August 23, 2023, and made India the fourth country to be successful in this mission. In addition to this, India has now become the first country to make a possible soft landing on the southern part of the moon. This achievement is considered as one of the top ISRO Missions in 2023. Chandrayaan was the biggest achievement among the top 10 achievements of ISRO.
8. Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III)
The Indian space agency launched this vehicle in December 2014. The purpose of making this vehicle was to carry heavier satellites. This crew capsule has the capacity to carry up to two to three astronauts. This rocket is one of the heaviest ones. The cost of this vehicle was around Rs 1,000 crore. GSLV Mark III was among the top 10 achievements of ISRO.
9. Indian National Satellite System (INSAT)
INSAT was launched by ISRO in 1983. It is a series of multipurpose geostationary satellites to satisfy the meteorology, telecommunications, rescue, broadcasting and search needs of the nation. It is the largest domestic communication system in the region of Asia Pacific. In this group, there are nine satellites that are currently working. These satellites are the one from top 10 achievements of ISRO.
10. Successes Of Aditya L-1
After the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan 3, ISRO again created history with the launch of Aditya L1, a solar mission. It is the very first space-based mission with a vision to study the sun. This mission was launched on September 2, 2023, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre located in Sriharikota. Those who are waiting for its landing on the sun will be disappointed after knowing that ISRO has no plans to do it. Neither it will land on the sun nor it will go closer to it. However,this mission is still one of the most notable achievements till date and known to be the top “ISRO Mission In 2023”.
Upcoming Missions Of ISRO
After the successful launches of Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L-1 which are the “Top ISRO Achievements In 2023”, ISRO has already shared the list of their upcoming projects, and the world is keen to know what new discoveries of eternal space will come out this time.
X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite
X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) is a space observatory programme that will study the numerous dynamics of cosmic X-rays in extreme conditions. This satellite is planned to be launched in October 2023, before the launch of Gaganyaan. The service time of this satellite is planned to be at least 5 years. It is the first polarimetry mission for India. ISRO is making this project with the collaboration of the Raman Research Institute (RRI).
Gaganyaan 1,2 and 3
ISRO is working on a crewed spacecraft called “Gaganyaan”. As per ISRO, the first test flight of this spacecraft without a crew will be in October 2023.It is another mission of ISRO that is listed to be performed in this year. HAL and ISRO worked together to create this spacecraft. This spacecraft is built to carry 3 people. After the first test flight, ISRO will conduct 2nd uncrewed flight and the final flight will be carried out in 2024 which will carry crew for the first time. After completing this mission, India will become the 4th nation to build its own crewed spacecraft. It will consist of two parts, the first one is the crew module (CM) and the second is the service module (SM). Both parts will create an orbital module. The first part of this mission is in the list of “ISRO Mission In 2023”.
NISAR
ISRO is working on this project with the partnership of NASA and it is planned to launch in January 2024. This mission will map the earth once every twelve days. The cost of NISAR is estimated at around $1.5 billion and the main purpose of this NISAR mission is to gather the data for a deep understanding of changes in the ecosystems of Earth, vegetation biomass, groundwater, ice mass, sea level rise, and natural menaces.