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Knowledge ISRO Indian Space Research Organisation The Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was established by Jawaharlal Nehru under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in 1962, on the urging of scientist Vikram Sarabhai recognizing the need in space research. INCOSPAR grew and became ISRO in 1969. The vision was to develop and harness space technology in national development while pursuing planetary exploration and space science research. Its headquarters are in Bangalore (Bengaluru). The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also called Mangalyaan (Hindi: “Mars Craft”), is an unmanned mission to Mars and is India’s first interplanetary spacecraft. It was launched on November 5, 2013. Its success made India only the fourth country in the world to reach the Martian orbit. ISRO’s first satellite, Aryabhata, was launched by the Soviet Union on April 19, 1975. Rohini, the first satellite to be placed in orbit by an Indian-made launch vehicle, was launched on July 18, 1980. Launches take place at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Sriharikota Island, near Chennai. Chandrayan – India’s first unmanned lunar mission launched in 2008, made India the 4th country to land its flag on the moon. ISRO Created a record in Feb 2017, launching 104 satellites in a single mission using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). 96 of the 104 satellites belonged to the United States. ISRO’s programs have played a significant role in the socioeconomic development of India and have supported both civilian and military domains in various aspects including disaster management, telemedicine and navigation and reconnaissance missions. ISRO maintains one of the largest fleet of communication satellites (INSAT) and remote sensing (IRS) satellites, that cater to the ever growing demand for fast and reliable communication and earth observation respectively.
Read about NASA, USA’s Space Agency on pg. 38 Saathee.com
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