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Major Achievements of Space Research Program

Shown below are some of the milestones in the history of Indian Space Research Program

  • 1962: Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR); formed by the Department of Atomic Energy, and work on establishing Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) near Trivandrum began. 

  • 1963: First sounding rocket launched from TERLS on November 21, 1963. 

  • 1965: Space Science & Technology Centre (SSTC) established in Thumba. 

  • 1967: Satellite Telecommunication Earth Station set up at Ahmedabad. 

  • 1972: Space Commission and Department of Space set up. 

  • 1975: First Indian Satellite, Aryabhata, launched (April 19, 1975). 

  • 1976: Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) conducted. 

  • 1979: Bhaskara-1, an experimental satellite launched. First experimental launch of SLV-3 with Rohini satellite on board failed. 

  • 1980: Second experimental launch of SLV-3 Rohini satellite successfully placed in orbit. 

  • 1981: APPLE, an experimental geostationary communication satellite successfully launched on June 19. 

  • 1981: Bhaskara-II launched on November 20. 

  • 1982: INSAT-1A launched (April); deactivated in September. 

  • 1983: Second launch of SLV-3. RS-D2 placed in orbit. INSAT-1B launched. 

  • 1984: Indo-Soviet manned space mission (April). Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to reach space. 

  • 1987: ASLV with SROSS-1 satellite on board launched. 

  • 1988: First Indian remote sensing satellite, IRS-1A launched. INSAT-1C launched (July). Abandoned in November. 

  • 1990: INSAT-1D launched successfully. 

  • 1991: Launch of second operational Remote Sensing satellite, IRS-1B (August). 

  • 1992: Third developmental launch of ASLV with SROCC-C on board (May). Satellite placed in orbit. First indigenously built satellite INSAT-2A launched successfully. 

  • 1993: INSAT-2B launched in July successfully. First developmental launch of PSLV with IRS-1E on board fails. 

  • 1994: Fourth developmental launch of ASLV successful (May). Second developmental launch of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) with IRS-P2 successfully (October). 

  • 1995: INSAT-2C launched in December. Third operational IRS (IRS) launched. 

  • 1996: Third developmental launch of PSLV with IRS-P3 successful (March). 

  • 1997: INSAT-2D launched in June becomes inoperational in October. Arabsat1C, since renamed INSAT-2DT, acquired in November. First operational launch of PSLV with IRS-1D successful (September). 

  • 1998: INSAT system capacity augmented with the readiness of INSAT-2DT acquired from Arabsat (January). 

  • 1999: INSAT-2E the last satellite in the multi-purpose INSAT-2 series, launched by Ariane from Kourou French Guyana (April 3, 1999). IRS-P4 (OCEANSAT), launched by Polar Satellite launch vehicle (PSLV-C2) along with Korean KITSAT-3 and German DLR-TUBSAT from Sriharikota (26 May 1999). 

  • 2000: INSAT-3B was launched on 22 March 2000. 

  • 2001: Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-D1 (GDLV-D1), the first developmental launch of GSLV with GSAT-1 onboard partially successful. 

  • 2002: INSAT-3C launced successfully by Arianespace (January), PSLV-C4 launches KALPANA-1 (September). 

  • 2003: GSLV-D2, the second developmental launch of GSLV with GSAT-2 successful (May). 

  • 2004: First operational flight of GSLV (F1) successfully launches EDUSAT (September). 

  • 2005: Launch of CARTOSAT and HAMSAT by PSLV-C6 from the second launch pad (Universal Launch Pad) (May). 

  • 2006: INSAT 4A Launched successfully. Planned launch of CARTOSAT-2, SRE and LAPAN-TUBSAT

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