Space ISRO
1. ISRO at a Glance
| Full Form | Founded | HQ | Chairman (Mar-24) | Motto |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Space Research Organisation | 15 Aug 1969 | Bengaluru | Shri S. Somanath | “Space Technology for National Development” |
- Parent body: Department of Space (DoS), Govt. of India
- Annual Budget 2024-25: ₹7,200 crore
- Employees: ≈ 17,000
- Commercial Arm: NSIL (NewSpace India Ltd.) – incorporated 2019
- Knowledge Arm: Antrix (now merged into NSIL)
2. Milestones & Mission Timeline
| Year | Mission / Event | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 1st rocket (Nike-Apache) | Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launch Station (TERLS), Kerala |
| 1975 | Aryabhata | 1st Indian satellite (launched by USSR) |
| 1980 | SLV-3 | 1st indigenous launch; Rohini satellite placed (19 Apr 1980) |
| 1981 | APPLE | 1st experimental communication satellite (launched by Ariane) |
| 1993 | PSLV-D1 | 1st developmental flight (partial failure) |
| 2008 | Chandrayaan-1 | Discovered water molecules on Moon; 11 instruments |
| 2013 | Mangalyaan (MOM) | Cheapest Mars mission: ₹450 cr; 24 Sep 2014 orbit insertion |
| 2017 | PSLV-C37 | World record: 104 satellites in single flight |
| 2019 | Mission Shakti | DRDO-ASAT test; India becomes 4th ASAT nation |
| 2019 | Chandrayaan-2 | Orbiter 100% success; Vikram lander hard-landed |
| 2022 | SSLV-D1 | 1st flight of new small-lift vehicle |
| 2023 | Aditya-L1 | 1st solar observatory; L1 point insertion 6 Jan 2024 |
| 2024 | Gaganyaan TV-D1 | Crew-escape system test successful (21 Oct 2023) |
| 2025 (Planned) | Gaganyaan-1 | 1st uncrewed orbital flight |
3. Launch Vehicles – Quick Reference
| Vehicle | Stages | Payload (kg) | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLV-3 | 4 solid | 40 (LEO) | 1st indigenous |
| ASLV | 5 solid | 150 (LEO) | Augmented version |
| PSLV | 4 (solid+liquid+2×liquid) | 1,750 (SSO) | “Work-horse”; 98% success |
| GSLV Mk-II | 3 (solid+liquid+cryo) | 2,500 (GTO) | Indigenous cryo (C-25) |
| LVM3/Mk-III | 2 solid+1 cryo | 4,000 (GTO) / 8,000 (LEO) | Chandrayaan-2 & 3 launcher |
| SSLV | 3 solid + 1 VTM | 500 (SSO) | 72-hr turnaround, 6 days assemble |
4. Satellite Systems
| Series | Purpose | 1st Launch | Number* |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRS (Indian Remote Sensing) | Earth observation | IRS-1A (1988) | 25+ |
| INSAT/GSAT | Communication & meteorology | INSAT-1A (1982) | 20+ |
| Cartosat | High-res cartography | Cartosat-1 (2005) | 8 |
| RISAT | Radar imaging (all-weather) | RISAT-2 (2009) | 4 |
| Oceansat | Oceanography | Oceansat-1 (1999) | 2 |
| NavIC/IRNSS | Indian regional navigation | IRNSS-1A (2013) | 9 (7+2 spare) |
| AstroSat | Space astronomy | 2015 | India’s 1st multi-wavelength observatory |
*Operational fleet as on Jan 2024.
5. Upcoming / Future Projects
| Mission | Objective | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Chandrayaan-4 | Lunar sample-return | 2027 |
| LUPEX | Indo-Japan rover at lunar south pole | 2028 |
| Gaganyaan | 3 Indian astronauts, 3-day mission | 2025 |
| Bharatiya Antariksh Station | 20-ton modular space station | 2035 |
| ISRO-NASA NISAR | Dual-band SAR earth-observation | 2024 launch (US) |
| Venus Orbiter Mission (Shukrayaan-1) | Study Venus surface & atmosphere | Dec 2028 |
6. Spaceports / Launch Pads
| Site | Location | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Sriharikota (SHAR), Andhra | 13° N, 80° E | PSLV, GSLV, LVM3, SSLV |
| Thumba (TERLS), Kerala | 8.5° N | Sounding rockets, training |
| Kulasekarapattinam (under dev.) | Tamil Nadu | SSLV exclusive (1st launch 2025) |
7. One-liner Rapid-Fire (Railway-friendly)
- ISRO was formed on Independence Day 1969.
- Vikram Sarabhai is the father of Indian space programme.
- Satish Dhawan gave ISRO the PSLV reliability culture.
- India’s 1st satellite: Aryabhata (1975).
- 1st successful indigenous launch vehicle: SLV-3 (1980).
- PSLV-C37 holds world record for 104 satellites.
- Mangalyaan cost less than Hollywood movie Gravity.
- Chandrayaan-1 discovered water on Moon using Moon Impact Probe (MIP).
- Aditya-L1 is stationed at Sun-Earth L1 Lagrange point (~1.5 million km).
- NavIC covers India + 1,500 km beyond; 7 satellites in orbit.
- Gaganyaan will use LVM3 launcher & a crew escape tower.
- NSIL replaced Antrix as commercial arm in 2022.
- SSLV can be assembled in 6 days by a 10-member team.
- ISRO’s cryogenic engine name: CE-20 (20-ton thrust).
- Space Applications Centre (SAC) is located at Ahmedabad.
- URSC (U. R. Rao Satellite Centre) is Bengaluru-based satellite hub.
8. 15+ Railway-style MCQs
Q1. Who is known as the father of the Indian space programme?
A. Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
B. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai
C. Dr. K. Kasturirangan
D. Prof. Satish Dhawan
Answer: B
Q2. In which year was ISRO established?
A. 1962
B. 1965
C. 1969
D. 1972
Answer: C
Q3. The first Indian satellite Aryabhata was launched in 1975 by which agency?
A. NASA
B. ESA
C. USSR
D. ISRO
Answer: C
Q4. Which launch vehicle placed the Rohini satellite in orbit on 18 July 1980?
A. ASLV
B. PSLV
C. SLV-3
D. GSLV
Answer: C
Q5. The cheapest Mars mission Mangalyaan was inserted into Martian orbit on
A. 24 September 2014
B. 5 November 2013
C. 15 August 2012
D. 8 June 2015
Answer: A
Q6. What is the total budgetary allocation for Department of Space in 2024-25?
A. ₹6,000 cr
B. ₹7,200 cr
C. ₹10,000 cr
D. ₹13,500 cr
Answer: B
Q7. Which PSLV flight holds the world record for launching 104 satellites?
A. PSLV-C34
B. PSLV-C35
C. PSLV-C36
D. PSLV-C37
Answer: D
Q8. India’s first solar observatory Aditya-L1 will be placed at
A. L2 point
B. L3 point
C. L1 point
D. Geostationary orbit
Answer: C
Q9. The cryogenic engine CE-20 is used in which launch vehicle?
A. GSLV Mk-II
B. LVM3
C. SSLV
D. ASLV
Answer: B
Q10. The NavIC constellation consists of how many operational satellites?
A. 5
B. 7
C. 9
D. 12
Answer: B
Q11. Where is the rocket launching port of ISRO located?
A. Bengaluru
B. Thiruvananthapuram
C. Sriharikota
D. Mahendragiri
Answer: C
Q12. Which of the following is the commercial arm of ISRO?
A. DRDO
B. NSIL
C. HAL
D. BHEL
Answer: B
Q13. The Chandrayaan-1 mission discovered water on the Moon using
A. Terrain Mapping Camera
B. Moon Impact Probe
C. Orbiter High-res Camera
D. Laser Retro-reflector
Answer: B
Q14. SSLV can place approximately ___ kg payload into 500 km SSO.
A. 100
B. 300
C. 500
D. 1,000
Answer: C
Q15. The space station proposed by India is targeted for which year?
A. 2028
B. 2030
C. 2035
D. 2040
Answer: C
Q16. Who was the ISRO chairman during the Chandrayaan-3 landing success (Aug 2023)?
A. A. S. Kiran Kumar
B. K. Sivan
C. S. Somanath
D. P. S. Veeraraghavan
Answer: C
Q17. The Gaganyaan mission will use which human-rated launch vehicle?
A. PSLV
B. GSLV Mk-II
C. LVM3
D. SSLV
Answer: C
Q18. India’s first multi-wavelength astronomy satellite is
A. AstroSat
B. Cartosat-3
C. INSAT-3DR
D. GSAT-30
Answer: A
Q19. The proposed Venus mission by ISRO is named
A. Mangalyaan-2
B. Shukrayaan-1
C. Chandrayaan-4
D. Aakash-1
Answer: B
Q20. The new spaceport under development in Tamil Nadu is located at
A. Kulasekarapattinam
B. Arakonam
C. Tuticorin
D. Rameswaram
Answer: A
BETA
