ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is one of the national space agencies of India. We all know the fact that it operates as one of the primary research and development arms of the Department of Space.
However, it is directly overseen by the prime minister of India along with the chairman of ISRO. There are many achievements associated with ISRO and here you will get to uncover the Top 10 achievements of ISRO.
But before that do you know what ISRO is primarily responsible for? Let us help you to strengthen your information.
ISRO- The Primary Responsibility
It is primarily responsible for performing all of the tasks related to spaced-based operations related to space-based, exploration, and also international space cooperation.
ISRO was founded in the year 1969 with the vision of developing space technology for national development. It has made significant progress in space research and technology. It is however determined to be one of the space agencies in the world.
It has also launched over 100 satellites and spacecraft, this means including communication, navigation, earth observation and scientific satellites.
On the other hand has also developed several launch vehicles. But there are different achievements of ISRO. So here, in this article, we will let you determine the Top 10 achievements of ISRO.
Top 10 Achievements of ISRO- Uncovering the Success
ISRO has been determined as one of the national assets of India. It has played a key role in the country’s development. But it still can push the boundaries of space exploration. ISRO’s work has also inspired and motivated millions of Indians and even helped me to become a global leader in space technology.
1. Chandrayaan 3-2023
Chandrayaan 3-2023 was the ISRO’s third lunar mission and it is one of the Top 10 achievements of ISRO. It was launched using LMV3 and weighed around 8,400 kilograms. This spacecraft was on course to touch down the moon on September 7 2023 and made a safe landing.
However, the main vision of Chandrayaan 3-2023 was the soft landing over the lunar surface and it made this happen even more softly.
Chandrayaan 3-2023 carried a lander that was equipped with a variety of scientific instruments. This included a seismometer, a magnetometer, and a thermal imager. The rover the other hand was equipped with a high-resolution camera and a radar system.
Chandrayaan 3-2023 has achieved the first successful landing of the spacecraft near the lunar south pole and this was the major technological achievement. This in turn made India the first country to land a spacecraft in the region of the moon.
Discovery of the water ice (of the lunar south pole) that carried an instrument called the Chandrayaan-2 Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer (which was used to search the water ice on the moon).
The class here detected water molecules in the lunar soil at the Chandrayaan-2 Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer. This was a major discovery as it confirmed the presence of water ice on the moon and paved the way for future human exploration.
Also Read: India’s Third Moon Mission: Chandrayaan-3
2. Launching 104 satellites – 2017
One of the numerous successes of ISRO, launching 104 satellites – 2017 is also one of the Top 10 achievements of ISRO and was made available on 15, 2017, ISRO launched 104 in a single mission using its polar satellite launch Vehicle (PSLV).
This was the world record at the time and demonstrated ISRO’s capabilities in launch vehicle technology. The mission included with Launching 104 satellites – 2017
Cartosat-2D is the remote sensing satellite for earth observation.
INS-1A and INS-1B are the two nanosatellites for nanosatellite technology demonstration.
The third mission included 96 nanosatellites from foreign countries mainly here United States, Israel, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Switzerland and more.
Hence, the successful mission launch of the 104 satellites was among the Top 10 achievements of ISRO. It demonstrated the reliability and cost-effectiveness of the PSLV launch vehicle. This showed that ISRO is capable of launching a large number of satellites in a single mission.
The launch of 104 satellites also had several other benefits as well. This means it provided ISRO with a new source of revenue from launching foreign satellites. This made it the best achievement of ISRO. It was the world record of the time and in turn, demonstrated the capabilities of launch vehicle technology.
3. Mars Orbit Mission – 2014
The other achievement that came into the list of ISRO was the launch of MOM in 2013. It rightly named Mangalyaan and that expanded the bound of exploration by venturing into unknown territory. This was known as one of India’s first interplanetary missions.
Launched on November 5, 2013, and later entered Martian orbit on September 24, 2014. However, the Mars Orbit Mission was a major success in both technological and scientific. It made India the first Asian country and the fourth country in the world to reach Mars.
MOM carried around 5 scientific instruments to study the Martian atmosphere and surface that majorly including:
MOM is one of the Top 10 achievements of ISRO for India and for the world too. It on the other hand also demonstrated India’s growing capabilities in space exploration. It has provided data about Mars.
MOM on the other hand also inspired and even motivated millions of people around the world.
4. Chandrayan – 2008
Chandrayan was the Indian first lunar mission and was launched on October 22, 2008. It orbited the moon for over 300 days. Chandrayan made several discoveries and this led India to feel proud and this included the presence of water molecules on the lunar surface.
Chandrayan carried 11 scientific instruments including:
The moon mineralogy mapper that was made to study the composition of the lunar surface.
Orbiter high-resolution camera to easily take high-resolution images of the lunar.
Next was the terrain mapping camera to easily create a digital elevation map of the moon.
Lunar laser ranging instruments measure the distance between the Earth and the moon. Chandrayan was one of the major achievements for India and even for the world as well. It helped to explain India’s growing capabilities in space exploration.
In turn, this provided valuable data about the moon.
5. Aryabhatta satellite – 1975
Aryabhatta was determined to be one of India’s first satellites and it was named after a famous astronomer (Aryabhata). It was launched in the year 19 April 1975 from Kapustin Yar, a Soviet rocket. It was launched by ISRO and is a Top 10 achievement of ISRO and launched by the Soviet Union.
It was part of the Soviet interkosmos programme (it provided access to space for friendly states). Aryabhata was only 26 years old and was a sided polyhedron 1.4 metres (4.6 ft) in diameter. It weighed around 360kgm and also carried 3 scientific instruments as well.
This was made available to study the Earth’s ionosphere, solar radiation, and X-ray astronomy. This was one of the major achievements of India. It on the other hand demonstrated India’s growth in space technology.
It paved the way for future Indian space missions.
Some of the major achievements of the Aryabhatta mission the included-first Indian satellite to be launched into orbit.
This was the first satellite to be launched by India. This stated Aryabhatta and one of the major milestones in Indian space program
6. Vikas Engine – 1970
ISRO has contributed major contribution towards India’s history. Likely another one in the list is Vikas Engine – 1970. It is a family of liquid propelled rocket engine and designed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (Of ISRO).
The initial designed was based on the licensed version of the Viking engine with the chemical system. But the early production Vikas engine used some of the imported French components and this was later replaced by domestically produced equivalents.
Hence, the Vikas engine was the major workforce for ISRO and counted to be one of the top 10 achievements of ISRO. This was determined to be one of the powering many of the successful mission.
Yet, on the other hand the major achievements walked together with Vikas Engine was- powered the second stage of PSLV and which launched over 100 satellite.
Powered the boosters and also the second stage of GSLV Mark I and II. This has further launched several satellites and one of those is INSAT series of satellites.
The last was the core stage of LVM3- which was one of the heaviest launch vehicles.
7. Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV)
Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) is a space launch vehicle that can be reused multiple times. This was in contrast to the traditional launch vehicles (that used to be discarded after each use). RLV holds the potential to reduce the cost of space launches (as they can be used multiple times)- without having to build and launch a new vehicle each time.
It works by flying to space and also returning to Earth to land and reusing. This can also be done in different ways, but the most common approach is to use a winged vehicle that can easily glide back to the earth.
ISRO is developing its own RLV which is called the Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator. The RLV-TD is a winged vehicle that is designed to fly to an altitude of 70km and then it returns to the earth.
However, other countries and companies are also developing RLVs. It holds the potential to easily revolutionize space exploration. In turn, the Reusable Launch Vehicle was one of the major achievements of ISRO. It is likely to be one of the Top 10 achievements of ISRO and we have to list it to make you aware of what RLV is all about.
8. Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)
SSLV was the new launch vehicle developed by ISRO specifically for launching small satellites. The one achievement made everyone stunned when it projected the results. This was quite effective and also provided quick access to space for small satellite operators.
SSLV is a 2-stage launch vehicle with a solid propulsion system. SSLV was capable of launching satellites weighing up to 500kg into the low orbit. But SSLV also launched multiple satellites in a single mission.
It on the other hand contains multiple advantages over traditional launch vehicles and was counted as one of the major achievements of ISRO.
9. NavIC
NavIC or we can say Navigation with Indian Constellation is one of the Indian regional navigation satellite systems. It provides accurate real-time positioning and time services. NavIC was operated by ISRO and took over the major achievements.
It consists of a constellation of 7 satellites and three orbital planes. The satellites are placed in geostationary and geosynchronous orbits (providing coverage over India).
NavIC is also one of the Top 10 achievements of ISRO. It is also a reliable, accurate navigation system that can be used for a variety of applications. The benefits majorly included increased accuracy and reliability, reduced dependence on foreign systems, and enhanced security.
10. Indian National Satellite System (INSAT)
Indian National Satellite System is a series of multi-purpose geostationary satellites launched by ISRO. This satisfied the broadcastings, dissemination, weathercasting, and exploration and rescue needs of India.
INSAT is known as one of the largest domestic communication systems in the Asia Pacific region. It provides services to over 600 TV channels and 200 radio channels across India. In turn, INSAT is used for a variety of applications like telecommunications that offers telecommunications services to rural and even to remote areas of India.
Broadcasting services to television and even to radio channels across India.
Next is Meteorology that majorly covers the weather forecasting and disaster warning.
Last is the search and rescue that offers services to ship and aircraft in distress.
Also Read: Top 10 Aerospace Companies in Bangalore 2023
Conclusion
There are top 10 achievements of ISRO as it has achieved significant milestone in both space exploration and technology. They have helped improving telecommunication, broadcasting, meteorology and even rescue services in India.
On the other hand, ISRO achievements has been inspiration for all and even motivated millions of people around. To conclude, ISRO is one of the world class space agencies that has made a significant contribution.
