ISRO, India

Synonyms

Indian Space Research Organization

Definition

India began space activities in the early 1960s as a nonaligned country. Various committees were created to support the national effort in developing launchers and satellites. In 1969, ISRO was created as part of the Nuclear Energy Department and became an independent organization in 1972. In 1975, the program launched Aryabhata, the first Indian satellite, and since then, it has produced the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PLSV) to launch satellites for remote sensing. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) is able to send up to 2 t in geosynchronous transfer orbit. In 1984, an Indian astronaut flew on board the Russian Salyut 7 space station. India is now turning to space sciences and exploration, and current ISRO activities are spread among more than 20 laboratories or centers across India. In 2008, India sent the Chandrayaan-1 to orbit the Moon, and in 2014, India’s Mars Orbiter Spacecraft successfully achieved an...