India in Space

Their beginning was humble, and they had no achievements to boast about. Not even a good laboratory . But, this dream team, had a great vision for India.

On 21st November 1963, they created history by launching the first rocket were ferried to the launching station on a bicycle! So, India's Space program lifted off. It was a tumultuous journey, filled with numerous ups and downs.

Once, a bullock cart had to be used to transport one of our satellites, APPLE, to its launching pad! Through this, we proved that we are resourceful enough to use ordinary things to shoot to the stars! Now India ranks among the fastest developing countries in terms of space research.

The story of India's space research program can be traced back to the heady days after independence, when India scientists and politicians realized that a huge country like India needed to have its own satellites in space in the fields of remote sensing and communications. Accrdingly, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai founded the physical Research Laboratory in 1974 at Ahmadabad.

India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, also foresaw the importance of scientific development and research for the growth of the nation. So, in 1961, space research for the growth of the nation. So, 1961, space research became an important part of the department of Atomic Energy, of which Dr. Homi Bhaba was the chairman. In 1962, Dr. Bhaba established the Indian National Committee for Space Research known as INCOSPAR, with Dr. Sarabhai as chairman. Thus, India's space programme was launched.

Dr. Vikram Sarabhai is considered to be the Father of the Indian Space Programme. He recognized the immense potential of space technology for the national development, and in solving the problems of a common man. He successfully convinced the government about the importance of a space programme for a developing country India and the establishment of the Indian Space Research Organisation, or ISRO, on the 15th of August 1969, was one of his greatest achievements.

As a result of Dr. Sarabhai's dialogue with NASA in 1966, the satellite Instructional Television Experiment of SITE was launched between July 1975 and July 1976. He also started a project for the fabrication, and launch of the Indian satellite. As a result, the first Indian satellite, Aryabhata, was put in orbit in 1975 from a Russian cosmodrome.

THE BIRTH OF ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organisation or ISRO was launched on 15th August 1969 Its primary objective is to advance space technology, and use its applications for national benefit. ISRO is a part of the Department of Atomic Energy or DAE, and its headquarters are located at Antariksh Bhavan in Bangalore. Programmes like satellite communication, Earth observation, launch vehicle, space science, disaster management support, and sponsored research scheme. ISRO is the primary space agency of the Indian Government and one of the six largest government space agencies in the world, along with the USA'S NASA, Russia's RKA, Europe's ESA, China's CNSA, and Japan's JAXA.

The primary goal of ISRO is to promote the use of space technology for thebenefit of the common man and the development of the nation. To this end, ISRO has successfully developed two major satellite systems namely the Indian National Satellites, INSAT, for communication services, and the Indian Remote Sensing-IRS-satellites for the management of natural resources.

In addition, ISRO has also developed a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, or GSLV, for launching INSAT type of satellites. ISRO continues to strive towards self-reliance and the capability to build and launch communication satellites for the television broadcast, telecom communication, and meteoro-logical applications, as well as remote sensing satellites for the management of natural resources.

ISRO has maintained a steady and impressive rate of growth throughout the years. In the 1960s and 1970s, India successfully made and launched its own sounding rockets. On April 19th, 1975, the first artificial satellite, Aryabhata, was launched with the aid of the Russian "inter-comos". A giant leap forward was also made in the field of long distance communication, with the launch of Bhaska I and II.

During the next decade, research yielded the Satellite Launch Vehicle 3 and the more advanced Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Technologies were the other features in ISRO's cap. It is the matter of the pride the India today is a self sufficient in the field of rocket construction, and ISRO is considered to be one of the leaders in the space race.