Important Indian Space Missions and Collaborations with Foreign Agencies

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) conducts space exploration, satellite launches, and scientific research. India operates lunar, interplanetary, solar, and earth observation missions independently as well as in partnership with international space agencies. These international collaborations involve payload sharing, joint satellite development, deep space tracking, and astronaut training programs.

Lunar and Planetary Exploration Missions

India’s planetary program includes missions to the Moon and Mars to study surface composition, atmospheric dynamics, and mineralogy.

Chandrayaan Series

• Chandrayaan-1 (2008): Launched aboard PSLV-C11, it was India’s first lunar probe. It carried eleven scientific instruments, including five from India, two from NASA, three from the European Space Agency (ESA), and one from Bulgaria. The Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) from NASA confirmed the presence of water molecules on the lunar surface.
• Chandrayaan-2 (2019): Launched using GSLV Mk III-M1, consisting of an orbiter, the Vikram lander, and the Pragyan rover. While the lander crashed during soft landing attempts, the orbiter remains operational in lunar orbit.
• Chandrayaan-3 (2023): Successfully executed a soft landing near the lunar south polar region on August 23, 2023. It deployed the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover to analyze lunar soil composition and seismic activity. The landing site was named Shiv Shakti Point.

Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan)

Launched in November 2013 on PSLV-C25, the Mars Orbiter Mission entered Martian orbit in September 2014. It made ISRO the fourth space agency to reach Mars orbit. The spacecraft carried five indigenous instruments, including the Mars Colour Camera and the Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer.

Solar and Space Astronomy Observatories

India operates space observatories to study cosmic radiation, stellar dynamics, and solar processes.

AstroSat (2015)

AstroSat is India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory. Launched aboard PSLV-C30, it monitors the universe simultaneously in ultraviolet, optical, low-energy X-ray, and high-energy X-ray wavebands. The mission involved collaborations with the Canadian Space Agency and the University of Leicester.

Aditya-L1 (2023)

Aditya-L1 is India’s first space-based observatory placed in a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1), located approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. It carries seven payloads to study the solar corona, chromosphere, photosphere, and solar wind particles.

Human Spaceflight: Gaganyaan

The Gaganyaan program aims to demonstrate Indian human spaceflight capability to Low Earth Orbit.

• Mission Profile: Designed to carry a crew of three astronauts to a 400-kilometer orbit for a three-day mission and bring them safely back to Earth with a splashdown in Indian sea waters.
• Launch Vehicle: Uses the human-rated Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3 / HLVM3).
• Test Vehicle Missions: The TV-D1 test flight validated the Crew Escape System in October 2023.
• Vyommitra: A half-humanoid robot developed by ISRO to fly aboard uncrewed test flights before the crewed mission to test microgravity effects and life-support systems.

Major Bilateral and International Collaborations

ISRO partners with space agencies from the United States, France, Japan, Russia, and the European Union for technology exchange and shared science objectives.

Collaboration with NASA (United States)

• NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar): A joint earth observation mission using dual-frequency radar (L-band from NASA and S-band from ISRO). It tracks ecosystem changes, land subsidence, ice sheet flow, and coastal erosion.
• Artemis Accords: India signed the Artemis Accords in 2023, joining the international framework for civilian space exploration and sustainable lunar activity.
• Deep Space Network: NASA provides ground tracking support through its Deep Space Network for ISRO interplanetary probes.

Collaboration with CNES (France)

• Megha-Tropiques (2011): Joint satellite mission studying the water cycle and energy exchanges in the tropical atmosphere.
• SARAL (2013): Satellite with Argos and ALTIKA, designed to measure ocean surface topography and sea surface height.
• TRISHNA: Thermal Infra-Red Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural Resource Assessment, developed jointly to monitor land surface temperature and evapotranspiration.

Collaboration with JAXA (Japan)

• LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration Mission): A joint lunar mission between ISRO and JAXA. JAXA will provide the rocket and the lunar rover, while ISRO will provide the lunar lander to explore water ice in permanently shadowed polar craters.

Collaboration with Roscosmos (Russia)

• Astronaut Training: The Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia provided foundational training to four Indian Air Force test pilots selected for the Gaganyaan mission.
• Cryogenic Technology: Early stages of India’s GSLV program utilized Russian cryogenic stages before ISRO developed the indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS).

Key Facts on Indian Space Missions

• Aryabhata, launched on April 19, 1975, using a Soviet Kosmos-3M launch vehicle, was India’s first satellite.
• Rohini (RS-1) was the first satellite placed into orbit by an indigenous Indian launch vehicle, the Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3), in July 1980.
• Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian citizen in space when he flew aboard the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz T-11 on April 3, 1984.
• National Space Day is celebrated in India every year on August 23 to mark the landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon.
• The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) earned the nickname “Workhorse of ISRO” after executing successful commercial and scientific missions.
• ISRO launched 104 satellites in a single flight on PSLV-C37 in February 2017, establishing a record for the highest number of satellites deployed in a single mission at that time.
• Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) was established in 1963 near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, due to its proximity to the geomagnetic equator.
• NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) is the commercial arm of ISRO, incorporated in 2019 under the Department of Space to commercialize launch vehicle services and technology transfers.
• Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) acts as the single-window autonomous agency to authorize and permit private space sector activities in India.
• The Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, serves as the primary spaceport and launch complex for ISRO missions.
• XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite), launched on January 1, 2024, made India the second nation after the United States to operate a dedicated space observatory for X-ray polarimetry.
• The Antrix Corporation, established in 1992, was the original marketing agency for ISRO space products and technical consultancy services.