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Source-This post on Recent Developments in India’s Space Program has been created based on the article “A look at ongoing Indian space missions” published in “The Hindu” on 23 August 2024.
UPSC Syllabus-GS Paper-3- Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology
Context- The article highlights the significant progress of India’s space program over the past year, with ISRO achieving key missions and milestones.
What are the major missions and achievements in the recent past?
1) Aditya-L1 Mission – Launched with the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), the Aditya-L1 spacecraft is studying solar radiation from the Earth-Sun Lagrange point (L1). It reached its orbit around L1 by January 6, 2024, and completed its first orbit on July 2, 2024. In May 2024, it tracked a solar storm in collaboration with ground observatories and lunar spacecraft.
2) Gaganyaan TV-D1 Test Flight – This mission used a modified L-40 Vikas engine to test the Crew Escape System (CES). The test successfully separated the crew module from the Test Vehicle (TV), ensuring it safely descended and was recovered by the Indian Navy vessel INS Shakthi. This test is a key part of ISRO’s human spaceflight program.
3) XPoSat Launch- It studies the polarization of radiation from celestial objects and follows NASA’s IPEX mission. Equipped with XSPECT and POLIX instruments, XPoSat started its operations on January 5 and 10.
4) INSAT-3DS Satellite– The INSAT-3DS meteorological satellite was launched on February 17, 2024, using a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). This mission tested the GSLV’s performance before the upcoming NISAR mission in early 2025.
5) RLV-TD Tests- ISRO tested its Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), Pushpak, with landing experiments that mimicked conditions from space. These successful tests provided key data and set the stage for the upcoming Orbital Return Flight Experiment.
6) SSLV Development- ISRO successfully completed the final test flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), deploying the EOS-08 and SR-0 Demosat satellites. This milestone confirms the SSLV’s readiness for commercial use. The payloads included earth observation tools and an ultraviolet dosimeter for the Gaganyaan mission.
7) NSIL Missions NewSpace India Ltd. (NSIL)– NSIL now manages commercial activities like Indian Remote Sensing satellite data. On May 1, 2024, NSIL signed a launch deal with SpaceX for the GSAT-20/GSAT-N2 satellite. It also sought qualifications for LVM-3 production and signed a launch agreement with an Australian company for the SSLV.
8) Private Sector Contributions – Private space companies are progressing with their missions: Agnikul Cosmos launched its SoRTeD-01 vehicle on March 21, 2024, Skyroot Aerospace is developing the Vikram 1 rocket, and Dhruva Space and Bellatrix Aerospace contributed to the PSLV-C58 mission on January 1, 2024.
9) Regulatory Developments –
A) India’s space regulator, IN-SPACe, has updated its policies and issued new licenses, including the first satellite broadband license to Eutelsat OneWeb and the first ground station license to Dhruva Space.
B) The government has amended its foreign direct investment (FDI) policy to allow 100% FDI in most space sectors, with some limits on satellite manufacturing (74%) and launch infrastructure (49%).
What are Future Roadmaps and Initiatives?
1) Gaganyaan Program-
A) ISRO is progressing with its Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, training astronaut-candidates for a crewed ISS mission in 2025 using SpaceX’s launch vehicle.
Read More- GAGANYAAN- Indian Human Spaceflight Programme.
B) Four more abort tests are planned before the uncrewed Gaganyaan flight in late 2024. By 2035, ISRO aims to establish India’s own space station, the ‘Bharatiya Antariksh Station’ (BAS).
2) Next-Generation Launch Vehicle– ISRO is working on a Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), a three-stage rocket using semi-cryogenic, liquid, and cryogenic engines. The NGLV will replace the GSLV. ISRO is also upgrading the LVM-3 rocket with a new semi-cryogenic engine.
Question for practice
What are the major missions and achievements in the recent past?
