Space activities in India were initiated with the setting up of Indian National Committee in 1962. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was established in August, 1969. The Space Commission was constituted and established the Department of Space (DOS) in June, 1972 and brought ISRO under DOS in 1972. Space Commission formulates the policies and oversees the implementation of the Indian space programme to promote the development and the application of space science and technology for the socio-economic benefit of the country.
Here, we are giving the list of India’s Space Programme with date & place of launch, and features of the space programme (launched vehicle as well as satellite) which will helps the students to prepare themselves for the examinations like UPSC, State Services, LIC, AAO, SSC, CGL, Railways, RRB, SBI Clerk, IBPS PO and other exams.
List of India’s Space Programme 2016
Space Programme | Date & Place of launch | Features |
| High-thrust Cryogenic Engine CE-20 | Date of launch: 19 February 2016 Place of launch: PRC , Mahendragiri Tamil Nadu | 1. It is an indigenously developed high-thrust cryogenic engine (CE20) of the GSLV Mark 3 (LVM3) rocket for the upper stage. 2. It works on “Gas Generator Cycle". |
| Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) -1F | Date: 10 March, 2016 Place of launch: Sriharikota | 1. It carries two types of payloads – navigation payload and ranging payload. This payload is operating in L5-band and S-band. 2. A highly accurate Rubidium atomic clock is part of the navigation payload of the satellite. The ranging payload of IRNSS-1F consists of a C-band transponder, which facilitates accurate determination of the range of the satellite. 3. It also carries Corner Cube Retro Reflectors for laser ranging. |
| Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)-1G | Date: 28 April 2016 Place of launch: Satish Dhawan Space Centre , Sriharikota | India’s seventh navigation satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS 1G) was launched into a Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (Sub-GTO) on-board PSLV-C33 |
| Reusable Launch Vehicle - Technology Demonstration Program (RLV-TD) | Date: 23 May 2016 Place of launch: Sriharikota | It has been configured to act as a flying test bed to evaluate various technologies, namely, hypersonic flight, autonomous landing, powered cruise flight and hypersonic flight using air-breathing propulsion. |
| 20 satellites in a single mission | Date: 22 June 2016 Place of launch: Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota , Andhra Pradesh | The 20 satellites including India’s latest earth observation satellite Cartosat-2 was launched on-board Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV C-34. The other 19 satellites were from the US, Germany, Canada and Indonesia as well as two satellites from Sathyabama University, Chennai, and the College of Engineering, Pune. |
| Scramjet Rocket Engine | Date: 28 August 2016 Place of launch: Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta in Andhra Pradesh | This is the first experimental mission of Indian Space Research Organisation for the realisation of an Air Breathing Propulsion System which uses hydrogen as fuel and oxygen from the atmosphere air as the oxidiser. |
| Advanced weather satellite INSAT-3DR | Date: 8 September 2016 Place of launch: Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota | 1. It was launched with the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F05) 2. It is an advanced meteorological satellite of India configured with an imaging System and an Atmospheric Sounder. |
| Eight satellites in two different orbits in a single mission | Date: 26 September 2016 Place of launch: Sriharikotta | 1. launched with the PSLV C35 2. Three from India and five from Algeria, US and Canada 3. Indian satellites were SCATSAT-1, Pratham and PISAT 3. Weather satellite SCATSAT-1 was inserted in polar sun synchronous orbit of 730 kilometre height |
| communication satellite GSAT-18 | Date: 6 October 2016 Place of launch: Spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana | It is designed to provide continuity of services on operational satellites in C-band, Extended C-band and Ku-bands. It is the 20th satellite from ISRO to be launched by the European space agency and the mission is the 280th for Arianespace launcher family. |
| PSLV-C36 / RESOURCESAT-2A | Date: December 07, 2016 Place of launch: SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota | It is a remote sensing satellite and is intending for resource monitoring. |
The 20th century has witnessed many momentous achievements of the Indian Space Program, which, not only caught the attention of the country but the outside world as well. With the successful Mars Orbit Insertion of Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, this made India the fourth nation to successfully send a spacecraft to Mars and the first nation in the world to do so in its first attempt. In the above list of India’s Space Programme which will helps the students to prepare themselves for the competitive examinations.
Launch Fleets of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at a Glance