The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is the space agency of the Government of

Indiaheadquartered in the city of Bangalore. Its vision is to "harness space technology for national
development while pursuing space science research and planetary exploration."
Formed in 1969, ISRO superseded the erstwhile Indian National Committee for Space Research
(INCOSPAR)established in 1962 by the efforts of independent India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal
Nehru, and his close aide and scientist Vikram Sarabhai. The establishment of ISRO thus institutionalized
space activities in India. It is managed by the Department of Space, which reports to the Prime Minister of
India.
ISRO built India's first satellite, Aryabhata, which was launched by the Soviet Union on 19 April 1975. It
was named after the Mathematician Aryabhata. In 1980, Rohini became the first satellite to be placed in
orbit by an Indian-made launch vehicle, SLV-3. ISRO subsequently developed two other rockets: the Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) for launching satellites into polar orbits and the Geosynchronous Satellite
Launch Vehicle (GSLV) for placing satellites into geostationary orbits. These rockets have launched
numerous communications satellites and earth observation satellites. Satellite navigation systems
like GAGAN and IRNSS have been deployed. In January 2014, ISRO used an indigenous cryogenic
engine in a GSLV-D5 launch of the GSAT-14
ISRO sent a lunar orbiter, Chandrayaan-1, on 22 October 2008 and a Mars orbiter, Mars Orbiter Mission,
on 5 November 2013, which entered Mars orbit on 24 September 2014, making India the first nation to
succeed on its first attempt to Mars, and ISRO the fourth space agency in the world as well as the first
space agency in Asia to reach Mars orbit. On 18 June 2016 ISRO set a record with a launch of 20 satellites
in a single payload, one being a satellite from Google.[11]On 15 February 2017, ISRO launched 104
satellites in a single rocket (PSLV-C37) and created a world record.[12][13]ISRO launched its heaviest rocket,
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV-Mk III), on 5 June 2017 and placed a
communications satellite GSAT-19 in orbit. With this launch, ISRO became capable of launching 4 ton
heavy satellites.
Future plans include the development of Unified Launch Vehicle, Small Satellite Launch Vehicle,
development of a reusable launch vehicle, human spaceflight, controlled soft lunar landing, interplanetary
probes, and a solar spacecraft mission.

Launch vehicle fleet

Comparison of Indian carrier rockets. Left to right: SLV, ASLV, PSLV, GSLV, GSLV Mk.III

During the 1960s and 1970s, India initiated its own launch vehicle program owing to geopolitical and
economic considerations. In the 1960s–1970s, the country developed a sounding rockets programme, and
by the 1980s, research had yielded the Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 and the more advanced Augmented
Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), complete with operational supporting infrastructure.[35] ISRO further
applied its energies to the advancement of launch vehicle technology resulting in the creation of PSLV and
GSLV technologies.

Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV)

Main article:  Satellite Launch Vehicle
Status: Decommissioned
The Satellite Launch Vehicle, usually known by its abbreviation SLV or SLV-3 was a 4-stage solid-
propellant light launcher. It was intended to reach a height of 500 km and carry a payload of 40 kg.
[36]
 Its first launch took place in 1979 with 2 more in each subsequent year, and the final launch in
1983. Only two of its four test flights were successful.[37]

Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV)[edit]

Main article:  ASLV
Status: Decommissioned
The Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle, usually known by its abbreviation ASLV was a 5-stage
solid propellant rocket with the capability of placing a 150 kg satellite into Low Earth Orbit. This
project was started by the ISRO during the early 1980s to develop technologies needed for a
payload to be placed into a geostationary orbit. Its design was based on Satellite Launch Vehicle.
[38]
 The first launch test was held in 1987, and after that 3 others followed in 1988, 1992 and 1994,
out of which only 2 were successful, before it was decommissioned.[37]

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)[edit]

Main article:  PSLV
Status: Active
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, commonly known by its abbreviation PSLV, is
an expendable launch system developed by ISRO to allow India to launch its Indian Remote
Sensing (IRS) satellites into Sun synchronous orbits. PSLV can also launch small satellites
into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). The reliability and versatility of the PSLV is proven
by the fact that it has launched, as of 2014, 71 satellites/spacecraft (31 Indian and 40 foreign)
into a variety of orbits. The maximum number of satellites launched by the PSLV in a single
launch is 104, in the PSLV-C37 launch on 15 February 2017.
Decade-wise summary of PSLV launches:

Failure
Decade Successful Partial success Total
s

1990s 3 1 1 5

2000s 11 0 0 11

2010s 24 0 1 25
 Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)
Main article:  GSLV
Status: Active
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, usually known by its abbreviation
GSLV, is an expendable launch system developed to enable India to launch its INSAT-
type satellites into geostationary orbit and to make India less dependent on foreign
rockets. At present, it is ISRO's second-heaviest satellite launch vehicle and is capable of
putting a total payload of up to 5 tons to Low Earth Orbit. The vehicle is built by India,
originally with a cryogenic engine purchased from Russia, while the ISRO developed its
own cryogenic engine.
The first version of the GSLV (GSLV Mk.I), using the Russian cryogenic stage, became
operational in 2004, after an unsuccessful first launch in 2001 and a second, successful
development launch in 2003.
The first attempt to launch the GSLV Mk.II with an Indian built cryogenic engine,
GSLV-F06 carrying GSAT-5P, failed on 25 December 2010. The initial evaluation
implies that loss of control for the strap-on boosters caused the rocket to veer from its
intended flight path, forcing a programmed detonation. Sixty-four seconds into the first
stage of flight, the rocket began to break up due to the acute angle of attack. The body
housing the 3rd stage, the cryogenic stage, incurred structural damage, forcing the range
safety team to initiate a programmed detonation of the rocket.
On 5 January 2014, GSLV-D5 launched GSAT-14 into intended orbit. This marked first
successful flight using indigenous cryogenic engine (CE-7.5), making India the sixth
country in the world to have this technology.
Again on 27 August 2015, GSLV-D6 launched GSAT-6 into the transfer orbit. ISRO
used the indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) third time on board in
this GSLV flight.[45]
On 8 September 2016, GSLV-F05 launched INSAT-3DR, an advanced weather satellite,
weighing 2211 kg into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). GSLV is designed to
inject 2 – 2.5 Tonne class of satellites into GTO. The launch took place from the Second
Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota. GSLV-
F05 flight is significant since it is the first operational flight of GSLV carrying
Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS). The indigenously developed CUS was carried on board
for the fourth time during a GSLV flight in the GSLV-F05 flight. GSLV-F05 vehicle is
configured with all its three stages including the CUS similar to the ones flown during
the previous GSLV-D5 and D6 missions in January 2014 and August 2015.
Decade-wise summary of GSLV Launches:

Failure
Decade Successful Partial success Total
s

2000s 3 1 1 5

2010s 5 0 2 7

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III (GSLV

III)[edit]
Main article:  GSLV III
Status: Active
GSLV-Mk III is a launch vehicle. It is capable to launch four tonne satellites into
geosynchronous transfer orbit. GSLV-Mk III is a three-stage vehicle with a 110
tonne core liquid propellant stage (L-110) flanked by two 200 tonne solid propellant
strap-on booster motors (S-200). The upper stage is cryogenic with a propellant
loading of 25 tonne (C-25). The vehicle has a lift-off mass of about 640 tonnes and
be 43.43 metres tall. According to ISRO, the payload fairing has a diameter of 5
metres and a payload volume of 100 cubic metres.[47] It will allow India to become
less dependent on foreign rockets for heavy lifting.[48]
On 18 December 2014, ISRO conducted an experimental test-flight of GSLV MK
III carrying a crew module, to be used in future human space missions.[49] This
suborbital test flight demonstrated the performance of GSLV Mk III in the
atmosphere.[50]
GSLV Mk III-D1 carrying communication satellite GSAT-19 lifted off from the
second launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on 5 June 2017
and placed the advanced communication satellite into the geosynchronous transfer
orbit 16 minutes after takeoff. GSAT-19 satellite with a lift-off mass of 3136 kg, is
the communication satellite of India, configured around the ISRO’s standard I-3K
bus.[51]
Decade wise summary of GSLV III launches:

Failure
Decade Successful Partial success Total
s

2010s 3 0 0 3[52]