Introduction Space activities in the country started during early 1960s with the scientific investigation of upper atmosphere and ionosphere over the magnetic equator that passes over Thumba near Thiruvananthapuram using small sounding rockets. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India's Space Program, envisioned that this powerful technology could play a meaningful role in national development and solving the problems of common man. Thus, Indian Space program born in the church beginning, space activities in the country, was developed with capability to build and launch communication satellites for television broadcast, telecommunications and meteorological applications. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is the primary space agency of the Indian government. ISRO is amongst the six largest government space agencies in the world, along with NASA, RKA, ESA, CNSA and JAXA. ISRO has achieved numerous milestones since its establishment. Over the years, ISRO has conducted a variety of operations for both Indian and foreign clients. It was establish in August 15, Former Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) now replaced by ISRO. Headquartered in Bangalore, ISRO is under the administrative control of the Department of Space, Government of India.

Objective The objective of ISRO is to develop space technology and its application to various tasks of national and international interest. India's economic progress has made its space program more visible and active as the country aims for greater self-reliance in space technology. Accordingly, it has successfully put into operation two major satellite systems, namely the Indian National Satellites (INSAT) for communication services and the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites for management for natural resources. It has also developed various launch vehicles, like the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) etc. for launching INSAT type of satellites. The Indian space program was driven by the vision of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, considered the father of Indian Space Programme.

Formative years Modern space research in India is most visibly traced to the activities of scientist S. K. Mitra who conducted a series of experiments leading to the sounding of the ionosphere in 1920's Calcutta. Later, Indian scientists like C.V. Raman and Meghnad Saha contributed to scientific principles applicable in space sciences. However, it was the period after 1945 which saw important developments being made in coordinated space research in India. Organized space research in India was spearheaded by two scientists : Vikram Sarabhai, founder of the Physical Research Laboratory at Ahmedabad and Homi Bhabha, who had played a role in the establishment of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in The Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was found in 1962 with Vikram Sarabhai as its chairman. Government support became visible by 1950 when the Department of Atomic Energy was founded with Homi Bhabha as secretary. The Department of Atomic Energy provided funding for space research throughout India. Tests on the Earth's magnetic field - studied in India since the establishment of the observatory at Colaba in Uttar Pradesh state observatory was established at the foothills of the Himalayas. The Rangpur Observatory was set up in 1957 at Hyderabad. Both these facilities enjoyed the technical support and scientific cooperation of the United States of America. In 1957, the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik and opened up possibilities for the rest of the world to conduct a space launch.

Ground Facilities India has established a strong infrastructure for executing its space programme. They include facilities for the development of satellites and launch vehicles and their testing. Launch infrastructure for sounding rockets and satellite launch vehicles, telemetry, tracking and command network. Data reception and processing systems for remote sensing. A number of academic and research institutions as well as industries participate in the Indian Space Programme. Ground Facilities provided by ISRO. There are mainly 2 types of facilities provide by them. Facilities are, 1.Launch Facility 2. Tracking Facility The other facilities are Data Analysis & Data Reception.

SDSC SHAR has the necessary infrastructure for launching satellite into low earth orbit, polar orbit and geostationary transfer orbit. The launch complexes provide complete support for vehicle assembly, fuelling, checkout and launch operations. Apart from these, it has facilities for launching sounding rockets for studying the earth's atmosphere. Second Launch Pad In order to provide redundant facilities for launching the operational PSLVs and GSLVs and also to have quick time for launch, an additional launch pad with associated facilities was constructed. It was for both the present PSLVs and GSLVs, and also the future launch vehicle configurations such as GSLV - MkIII. First launch pad The individual stages of PSLV or GSLV, their subsystems and the spacecraft are prepared and checked out in separate facilities before they are sent to launch pad for integration. A 76 meter tall foldable working platforms, Mobile Service Tower (MST) facilitates the vertical integration of the vehicle. A massive launch pedestal, made up of steel plates, acts as the base on which the vehicle is integrated. Launch Facility

Tracking facility ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) provides mission support to low - earth orbit satellites as well as launch vehicle missions. ISTRAC has its headquarters and a multi-mission Spacecraft Control Centre at Bangalore. It has a network of ground stations at Bangalore, Lucknow, Sriharikota, Port Blair and Thiruvananthapuram in India. ISTRAC activities are organised into network operations, network augmentation, mission operation and spacecraft health monitoring, communications and computers and control centre facilities and development projects. Programme planning and reliability groups support ISTRAC activities.

Launch Vehicles are used to transport and put satellites or space crafts into space. In India, the launch vehicles development programme began in the early 1970s. The first experimental Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3) was developed in An Augmented version of this, ASLV was launched successfully in India has made tremendous steps in launch vehicle technology to achieve independence in satellite launch vehicle programme with the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). PSLV represents ISRO's first attempt to design and develop an operational vehicle that can be used to orbit application satellites. ISRO's Launch Fleet at a Glance 1. ISRO developed two experimental satellite launch vehicles, SLV-3 and ASLV. 2. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) commissioned in Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-Mk I) commissioned after second successful flight in May GSLV-MK II will use for cryogenic Upper Stage. 5. GSLV-MK III is under development. Launch Vehicles

SLV-3 Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV or SLV-3), was India's first experimental satellite launch vehicle successfully launched on July, 1980 from SHAR Centre Sriharikota, when Rohini satellite, was placed in earth orbit. ASLV Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) was developed to act as a low cost intermediate vehicle to demonstrate and validate critical technologies. The first ASLV developmental flight took place on March, ASLV-D3 was successfully launched on May, 1992, when SROSS-C was put into an earth orbit. ASLV-D4, launched on May, 1994, orbited SROSS-C2. PSLV The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), is an expendable launch system developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites into sun synchronous orbits. The reliability rate of PSLV has been superb. There had been 21 continuously successful flights of PSLV, till September Chandrayaan-1, India's first space craft to the moon, launched using a modified version of the PSLV in October, 2008.

GSLV Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)-Mark I & II, is capable of placing INSAT-II class of satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). The first flight of GSLV took place from SHAR on April 18, 2001 by launching GSAT-1. GSLV Mark III The GSLV-III or Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III, is a launch vehicle currently under development by the Indian Space Research Organization. GSLV Mk III is designed to make for launching heavier communication satellites of INSAT - 4 class.

Satellites For the past four decades, ISRO has launched more than 65 satellites for various scientific and technological applications like mobile communications, Direct-to-Home services, meteorological observations, telemedicine, tele-education, disaster warning, radio networking, search and rescue operations, remote sensing and scientific studies of the space. ISRO has established two major space systems, the Indian National Satellite System (INSAT) series for communication, television broadcasting and meteorological services which is Geo-Stationary Satellites, and Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS) system for resources monitoring and management which is Earth Observation Satellites.

Geo - Stationary Satellites The Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system which are placed in Geo-stationary orbits is one of the largest domestic communication satellite systems in Asia-Pacific region. Established in It initiated a major revolution in India’s communications sector. From beginning there are several satellites provides services to telecommunications, television broadcasting, weather forecasting, disaster warning and Search and Rescue operations. Mainly INSAT & GSAT series satellite provide above mention services. INSAT 1A - India’s 1 st GEO satellite, launched on INSAT-1 was a multi-purpose satellite system to provide high power TV broadcasting and telecommunication transponders. KALPANA 1 - It’s the first in the series of exclusive meteorological satellites built by ISRO. INSAT 3D, SARAL, ASTROSAT, GSAT 14, are forthcoming GEO satellites scheduled to be launched by ISRO.

Earth observation satellites The data sent by Earth Observation Satellites are used for several applications covering agriculture, water resources, urban development, mineral prospecting, environment, forestry, drought and flood forecasting, ocean resources and disaster management. Bhaskara 1 - India’s 1 st Earth Observation Satellite. Launched on June, The First Experimental Remote Sensing Satellite. IRS - 1A - Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellite system was launch with the IRS-1A on March, The First Opetaional Remote Sensing Satellite of India. RISAT 1 - Radar Imaging Satellite-1 (RISAT-1) is a Remote Sensing Satellite carrying a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload, launched on April, 2012.

Future projects ISRO plans to launch a number of new-generation Earth Observation Satellites in the near future. ISRO has stated that it will send unmanned missions to Mars and Near-Earth Objects. ISRO has planned 58 missions during ; 33 satellites missions in next two years and 25 launch vehicles missions thereafter, costing INR 20,000 Crore. Lunar exploration: Chandrayaan - 1 is India's first mission to the moon. India launched the spacecraft using a modified version of the PSLV is C11 on 22 October 2008 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The vehicle was successfully inserted into lunar orbit on 8 November ISRO plans to follow up Chandrayaan-2 with unmanned missions to Near-Earth objects. Mars orbiter mission: ISRO is preparing for Mangalyaan, an orbiter mission to Mars to be launched in November Venus orbiter mission: ISRO is planning a mission to Venus by May 2015 to study its atmosphere. The probe will reach Venus by September 2015.

Though ancient Indians were known to have knowledge about rocket science, it being used in during wars, it was only after independence that the process of exploring space really accelerated. India’s experience in rocketry began in ancient times when fireworks were first used in the country, a technology invented in China. India has developed various Launch vehicles that make a space programme independent and are the most important technological measure of its advancement. Prominent among them are Satellites. After India gained independence from British occupation in 1947, Indian scientists and politicians recognized the potential of rocket technology in both defence applications, and for research and development. Conclusion

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