Science and Technology in Modern India- IV

​​​​Space Programs

• The space research activities were initiated in India during the early 1960’s, when applications using satellites were in experimental stages even in the United States.
• As a first step, the Department of Atomic Energy formed the INCOSPAR (Indian National Committee for Space Research) under the leadership of Sarabhai and Ramanathan in 1962.
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was later formed on August 15, 1969.

• The prime objective of ISRO is to develop space technology and its application to various national needs.
• It is one of the six largest space agencies in the world.

• The Department of Space (DOS) and the Space Commission were set up in 1972 and ISRO was brought under DOS on June 1, 1972.
• Since inception, the Indian space programme has been orchestrated well and had three distinct elements such as,
  • Satellites for communication and remote sensing,
  • The space transportation system and
  • Application programmes.
• Two major operational systems have been established
  • The Indian National Satellite (INSAT) for telecommunication, television broadcasting, and
  • Meteorological services and the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) for monitoring and management of natural resources and Disaster Management Support.

Space Research Organizations

I. Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)

• VSSC at Thiruvananthapuram is the head centre for the development of satellite launch vehicles and associated technology.

II. ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC)

• ISAC at Bangalore is the lead centre for developing satellite technology and implementation of satellite system for scientific technological and applications missions.

III. Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota

• SDSC is the main launch centre of ISRO and has facilities for solid propellant casting, static testing of solid motors, launch vehicles integration and launch operations, range operation comprising telemetry tracking and command network and mission control centre.

IV. Liquid Propulsion System Centre (LPSC)

• LPSC is the lead centre in design and development of liquid and cryogenic propulsion for launch vehicles and satellites.
• It is located in Thiruvananthapuram and Bengaluru.
• LPSC is augmented by Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri of Tamil Nadu.

V. Space Applications Centre (SAC)

• SAC at Ahmadabad is engaged in the development of pay loads for communication, meteorological and remote sensing satellites.

VI. Development and Educational Communication Unit (DECU)

• DECU at Ahmadabad is involved in the conception, definition, planning, implementation and socio-economic evaluation of innovative configuration for space applications.

VII. ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC)

• ISTRAC provides mission support to low earth orbit satellites as well as launch vehicle missions.
• ISTRAC has Tracking stations throughout the country and all over the world in Port Louis (Mauritius), Bearslake (Russia), Biak (Indonesia) and Brunei.

VIII. Master Control Facility (MCF)

• MCF at Hassan in Karnataka and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh monitors and controls all the geo stationary satellites of ISRO.

IX. ISRO inertial system Unit (IISU)

• IISU at Thiruvananthapuram carries out resource and development in inertial sensors and systems.

X. National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA)

• NRSA at Hyderabad is an autonomous institution under DOS.
• The agency is responsible for satellite data acquisition and processing data dissemination, aerial remote sensing and decision support for disaster management.

XI. Physical Research Laboratory (PRL)

• PRL at Ahmadabad, is an autonomous institution supported mainly by DOS.
• It is premier institute for multi-disciplinary research in astronomy and astrophysics, earth sciences, planetary sciences, space sciences and basic science.

XII. National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL)

• NARL located near Tirupati is an autonomous Research Institute supported by DOS.
• It is a premier centre for atmospheric research facilities like Mesosphere, Stratosphere troposphere radar, LIDAR etc.

XIII. Regional Remote Sensing Service Centers (PRSSC)

• Five PRSSCs have been established by the DOS at Bangalore, Jodhpur, Kharagpur, Dehradun and Nagpur.
• PRSSCs support the various remote sensing tasks specific to their regions as well as at the national level.

XIV. North Eastern – Space Application Centre (NE SAC)

• NE-SAC, located at Shillong, is a joint initiative of DOS and North Eastern Council.
• It aims to provide development support to the North Eastern region using space science and technology.

XV. Antrix Corporation Limited

• Antrix Corporation Limited is the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• Its objective is to promote the ISRO's products, services and technologies.
• It was incorporated as a private limited company owned by the Indian government on 28 September 1992.
• It is administered by the Department of Space (DoS).

XVI. Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh

• SCL is entrusted with design and development of very large-scale integration (VLSI) devices and development of systems for telecommunications and space sectors.

XVII. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)

• New commercial arm called NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) was officially inaugurated at Bengaluru in 2019.
• It will act as an aggregator for all space related activities in industry.
• It will also develop private entrepreneurship in space related technologies.

Types of Launch Vehicles

I. Satellite Launch Vehicle - SLV

• Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3) was India's first experimental satellite launch vehicle, which was all four stage solid vehicles.
• SLV-3 was successfully launched on July 18, 1980 from Sriharikota Range (SHAR), when Rohini satellite, RS-1 was placed in orbit.
• This making India the sixth member of an exclusive club of space-faring nations.

II. Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle – ASLV

• The Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) Programme was designed to augment the payload capacity to 150 kg, thrice that of SLV-3, for Low Earth Orbits (LEO).
• It was a five-stage solid propellant vehicle.
• ASLV was proved to be a low-cost intermediate vehicle to demonstrate and validate critical technologies.

III. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle - PSLV

• Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is the third generation launch vehicle of India.
• It is the first Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages.
• After its first successful launch in October 1994, PSLV emerged as the reliable and versatile workhorse launch vehicle of India with 39 consecutively successful missions by June 2017.
• This vehicle successfully launched two spacecraft viz Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in 2013 that later travelled to Moon and Mars respectively.

IV. Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle- GSLV

• Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark is the largest launch vehicle developed by India, which is currently in operation.
• This fourth generation launch vehicle is a three-stage vehicle with four liquid strap-ons.

• The indigenously developed cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS), which is flight proven, forms the third stage of GSLV Mk II.
• From January 2014, the vehicle has achieved four consecutive successes.

V.GSLV Mark III

• GSLV Mk III, chosen to launch Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft, is a three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle developed by ISRO.
• The vehicle has two solid strap-ons, a core liquid booster and a cryogenic upper stage.
• GSLV Mk III is designed to carry 4-ton class of satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) or about 10 tons to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
• It has about twice the capability of the GSLV Mk II.
• GSLV MkIII-M1, successfully injected Chandrayaan-2, India’s second Lunar Mission, in to Earth Parking Orbit on July 22, 2019.
• Also, it will be used in the India’s first manned mission “Gaganyan”.

VI. Reusable Launch Vehicle

• Reusable Launch Vehicle – Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) is one of the most technologically challenging endeavours of ISRO.
• It aims towards developing essential technologies for a fully reusable launch vehicle to enable low cost access to space.
• The configuration of RLV-TD is similar to that of an aircraft and combines the complexity of both launch vehicles and aircraft.
• The winged RLV-TD has been configured to act as a flying test bed to evaluate various technologies, namely, hypersonic flight, autonomous landing and powered cruise flight. 

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