Indian Space Programme and ISRO
Founding and Early Years
ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation):
- Founded: 1969 (replaced INCOSPAR — Indian National Committee for Space Research, est. 1962)
- Founder: Dr. Vikram Sarabhai — 'Father of the Indian Space Programme'
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
- Under: Department of Space (directly under the Prime Minister)
Key launch facilities:
- SDSC SHAR (Satish Dhawan Space Centre), Sriharikota: Primary launch site for PSLV, GSLV. Two launch pads.
- VSSC (Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre), Thiruvananthapuram: Rocket development
- URSC (U R Rao Satellite Centre), Bengaluru: Satellite development
- Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad: Applications and payloads
First Indian satellite: Aryabhata — launched April 19, 1975 by Soviet rocket. First Indian rocket: SLV-3 — July 18, 1980. Rohini satellite placed in orbit. Director: APJ Abdul Kalam.
Launch Vehicles
| Vehicle | Type | Payload | Key use |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSLV | Workhorse | Up to 1,750 kg (polar) | Moon/Mars missions, earth observation, 104-satellite record |
| GSLV Mk II | Medium | ~2,500 kg (GTO) | Communication satellites |
| GSLV Mk III (LVM3) | Heavy | ~4,000 kg (GTO) | Chandrayaan-2/3, Gaganyaan |
| SSLV | Small | ~500 kg | Small satellite market |
Major ISRO Missions
Lunar Missions (Chandrayaan)
Chandrayaan-1 (2008–2009):
- Launched: October 22, 2008 by PSLV-C11
- India's first lunar mission
- Carried 11 payloads (5 Indian, 3 European, 2 American, 1 Bulgarian)
- Key discovery: Moon Impact Probe found evidence of water ice on the Moon (confirmed by NASA's Mini-RF instrument)
- Lost communication August 2009
Chandrayaan-2 (2019):
- Launched: July 22, 2019 by GSLV MkIII
- Orbiter successfully in lunar orbit (still operational)
- Lander Vikram crash-landed — final moments showed controlled descent failed
- Led to introspection and improvements for Chandrayaan-3
Chandrayaan-3 (2023):
- Launched: July 14, 2023; Landed: August 23, 2023
- First soft landing on Moon's South Pole
- Fourth country to soft-land on Moon (after USSR, USA, China)
- Lander: Vikram. Rover: Pragyan.
- Landing site named Shiv Shakti Point
- Confirmed presence of sulphur at lunar south pole
- August 23 = National Space Day
Mars Mission — Mangalyaan (2013–2022)
- Launched: November 5, 2013
- Entered Mars orbit: September 24, 2014
- First country to reach Mars in first attempt
- Fourth space agency to reach Mars (after Roscosmos, NASA, ESA)
- Cost: ₹450 crore (~$74 million) — cheapest interplanetary mission ever
- Carried 5 instruments — methane sensor, colour camera, thermal infrared spectrometer
- Lost contact: September 2022 (battery/solar panel degradation after 8 years)
Solar Mission — Aditya-L1 (2023–)
- Launched: September 2, 2023 by PSLV-C57
- India's first solar observatory mission
- Destination: Lagrange Point 1 (L1) — 1.5 million km from Earth toward Sun
- L1 point gives uninterrupted view of Sun (no eclipses)
- Reached L1 halo orbit: January 6, 2024
- 7 instruments to study solar corona, solar wind, solar flares
Navigation — NavIC
NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation):
- India's own GPS system — formerly IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System)
- 7 satellites providing navigation over India and surrounding region (up to 1,500 km)
- Accuracy: < 10 metres
- Mandatory in smartphones sold in India from 2023
Earth Observation — Cartosat, RISAT, etc.
- Cartosat series: High-resolution earth imaging — used for urban planning, mapping, defence
- RISAT (Radar Imaging Satellite): All-weather, day-night imaging using microwave sensors
- Oceansat: Ocean monitoring — wind speed, phytoplankton, sea surface temperature
Human Spaceflight — Gaganyaan
Gaganyaan Mission:
- India's first crewed spaceflight programme
- Will send 3 Indian astronauts (Gagannauts) to 400 km orbit for 3 days
- Launch vehicle: GSLV Mk III
- Currently under development — unmanned test flights ongoing
- 4 astronauts selected and trained in Russia/India: Group Capt. Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Capt. Ajit Krishnan, Group Capt. Angad Pratap, Wing Cmdr. Shubhanshu Shukla
Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS): India's own space station — planned for 2035.
Important Scientific Inventions and Discoveries
Physics
| Discovery/Invention | Scientist | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Laws of Motion, Gravitation | Isaac Newton | 1687 |
| Electricity (lightning rod) | Benjamin Franklin | 1752 |
| Electromagnetic induction | Michael Faraday | 1831 |
| Periodic Table | Dmitri Mendeleev | 1869 |
| X-rays | Wilhelm Röntgen | 1895 |
| Radioactivity | Henri Becquerel (and Curies) | 1896 |
| Theory of Relativity | Albert Einstein | 1905/1915 |
| Raman Effect | C.V. Raman | 1928 |
| Quantum Mechanics | Niels Bohr, Heisenberg, Schrödinger | 1920s |
| Nuclear fission | Hahn, Strassmann, Meitner | 1938 |
| Transistor | Shockley, Bardeen, Brattain (Bell Labs) | 1947 |
Biology and Medicine
| Discovery | Scientist | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Cell | Robert Hooke | 1665 |
| Bacteria | Antonie van Leeuwenhoek | 1676 |
| Vaccination | Edward Jenner | 1796 |
| Germ theory | Louis Pasteur | 1860s |
| Evolution by natural selection | Charles Darwin | 1859 |
| Penicillin | Alexander Fleming | 1928 |
| DNA structure | Watson and Crick | 1953 |
| AIDS virus (HIV) | Montagnier, Gallo | 1983–84 |
Indian Scientists
| Scientist | Field | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| C.V. Raman | Physics | Raman Effect (inelastic scattering of light). Nobel Prize 1930 |
| Jagadish Chandra Bose | Physics/Biology | Proved plants are sensitive to stimuli; pioneered radio/microwave research |
| Srinivasa Ramanujan | Mathematics | Number theory, infinite series, mock theta functions |
| Homi J. Bhabha | Nuclear Physics | Father of Indian nuclear programme; founded TIFR (1945), BARC |
| Vikram Sarabhai | Space Science | Father of Indian space programme; founded ISRO (1969) |
| APJ Abdul Kalam | Aerospace/Missiles | SLV-3, Agni, Prithvi missiles; 11th President |
| Yellapragada Subbarao | Biochemistry | Discovered role of ATP; developed Methotrexate (cancer drug) |
Technology and Everyday Science
Computer and IT
- Binary number system: Foundation of computers — 0s and 1s
- World Wide Web (WWW): Tim Berners-Lee, 1989 (at CERN)
- Internet: ARPANET (1969) → commercialised internet (1990s)
- Transistor (1947) → Integrated Circuit (1958) → Microprocessor (1971, Intel 4004)
Important Technologies for TNPSC GS
| Technology | What it does | Indian context |
|---|---|---|
| GPS/NavIC | Navigation using satellites | NavIC = India's own system |
| RIFD | Radio frequency identification — contactless scan | Toll booths (FASTag), library books |
| Laser | Amplified coherent light | Barcode scanners, surgery, communications |
| Fibre Optics | Light-based data transmission | BharatNet — broadband to villages |
| Nuclear Energy | Fission energy from U-235 | India has 22 nuclear reactors; Kudankulam (Tamil Nadu) |
| Solar Energy | Photovoltaic cells | India solar capacity: 80+ GW; Tamil Nadu: 16+ GW |
Board Exam Tips
- ISRO founded 1969; Vikram Sarabhai = Father of Indian space programme; HQ Bengaluru.
- Aryabhata = India's first satellite (1975). SLV-3 (1980) = first Indian rocket; APJ Abdul Kalam directed.
- Chandrayaan-3 (August 23, 2023) = first South Pole Moon landing; 4th country overall.
- Mangalyaan = first country to reach Mars in first attempt; cheapest interplanetary mission.
- Aditya-L1 = India's first solar observatory; reached L1 January 2024.
- Gaganyaan = India's first crewed spaceflight programme (in progress).
- Raman Effect = C.V. Raman, 1928; Nobel Prize 1930 (first Indian science Nobel).
- PSLV = workhorse; GSLV Mk III = heavy lift (used for Chandrayaan-2/3, Gaganyaan).
Frequently Asked Questions
Chandrayaan-3 (launched July 14, 2023; landed August 23, 2023) made India the FIRST country to land on the Moon's South Pole and the FOURTH country overall to achieve a soft lunar landing (after USSR, USA, China). The lander 'Vikram' and rover 'Pragyan' operated for 14 Earth days near the South Pole. The mission confirmed the presence of sulphur and other minerals at the lunar south pole. The landing site was named Shiv Shakti Point by PM Modi. August 23 is now celebrated as National Space Day.