ISRO has established two major space systems, INSAT for communication, television broadcasting and meteorological services, and Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS) system for resources monitoring and management. ISRO has developed two satellite launch vehicles, PSLV and GSLV, to place IRS and INSAT satellites in the required orbits.

The major achievements and the programmes taken up under the Central sector Plan schemes include:

Indian National Satellite System (INSAT)

Having established the need for a domestic communication satellite through Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) using ATS-6 satellite of USA during 1975-76, Satellite Telecommunication Experimental Project (STEP) using Franco-German Satellite Symphonie in 1978-79 and building experimental communication satellite APPLE, Indian National Satellite-1 (INSAT) system was operationalised in 1983. INSAT-1 satellites procured from abroad were multi-purpose communication satellites providing communication, TV broadcast and meteorological services, INSAT-2, 3, 4 and GSAT satellites designed indigenously with higher power and more weight and capability to provide various services have been built and operationalised. India, today, has one of the largest domestic communications satellite systems with 11 satellites in orbit with more than 200 transponders providing vital services to the country.

INSAT space segment consists of the following 21 satellites:

• INSAT-4CR launched on September 2, 2007 (In Service)
• INSAT-4B launched on March 12, 2007 (In Service)
• INSAT-4A launched on December 22, 2005 (In Service)
• INSAT-4C launched on July 10, 2006 (Not placed in Orbit)
• EDUSAT launched on September 20, 2004 (In Service)
• INSAT-3E launched on September 28, 2003 (In Service)
• GSAT-2 launched on May 8, 2003 (In Service)
• INSAT-3A launched on April 10, 2003 (In Service)
• Kalpana-1 launched on September 12, 2002 (In Service)
• INSAT-3C launched on January 24, 2002 (In Service)
• INSAT-3B launched on March 22, 2000 (In Service)
• INSAT-2E launched on April 3,1999 (In Service)
• INSAT-2DT In-orbit Procurement (Completed Mission Life)
• INSAT-2C launched on December 7, 1997 (Completed Mission Life)
• INSAT-2D launched on June 4, 1997 (Became inoperable on October 4, 1997)
• INSAT-2B launched on July 23, 1993(Completed Mission Life)
• INSAT-2A launched on July 10, 1992 (Completed Mission Life)
• INSAT-1D launched on June 12, 1990 (Completed Mission Life)
• INSAT-1C launched on July 22, 1988 (Abandoned in November 1989)
• INSAT-1B launched on August 30, 1983 (Completed Mission Life)
• INSAT-1A launched on April 10, 1982(Deactivated on September 6, 1982)

Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) System

Use of remote sensing satellites for earth observation was initiated with the design and development of experimental remote sensing satellites Bhaskara-1 and Bhaskara-2 during mid 70s. IRS was commissioned with the launch of IRS-1A in March 1988. IRS system under National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS) coordinated at national level by the Planning Committee of NNRMS (PC-NNRMS). At present, Indian Remote Sensing Satellite System consists of Eight satellites and is the largest remote sensing constellation in the world and provides imageries in a variety of spatial resolutions varying from 1 metre to 180 metres.

• CARTOSAT-2A launched on April 28, 2008 by PSLV-C9 (In Service)
• IMS-1 launched on April 28, 2008 by PSLV-C9 (In Service)
• CARTOSAT-2 launched on January 10, 2007 by PSLV-C7 (In Service)
• CARTOSAT-1 launched on May 5, 2005 by PSLV-C6 (In Service)
• RESOURCESAT-1 launched on October 17, 2003 by PSLV-C5 (In Service)
• TES launched on October 22, 2001 by PSLV-C3 (In Service)
• OCEANSAT-1 launched on May 26, 1999 by PSLV-C2 (In Service)
• IRS-1D launched on September 29, 1997 by PSLV-C1 (In Service)
• IRS-P3 launched on March 21, 1996 by PSLV-D3 (Mission Completed)
• IRS-1C launched on December 28, 1995 by Molniya (Russia) (In Service)
• IRS-P2 launched on October 15, 1994 by PSLV-D2 (Mission Completed)
• IRS-1E launched on September 20, 1993 by PSLV-D1 (Could not be placed in Orbit)
• IRS-1B launched on August 29, 1991 by Vostok (USSR) (Mission Completed)
• IRS-1A launched on March 17, 1988 by Vostok (USSR) (Mission Completed)

Satellite Launch Vehicle

From the modest sounding rockets of the 1960s, India has now acquired capability to launch remote sensing satellites using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and geo-synchronous communication satellites using GSLV. So far, PSLV had 12 consecutively successful flights, the latest one on April 28, 2008 when it launched CARTOSAT-2A, IMS-1 and Eight nano-satellites. PSLV has also launched KALPANA-1, Meteorological Satellite into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). PSLV, with an impeccable flight record, is offered commercially for launching satellites of other countries. It has already launched 16 satellites for foreign customers. PSLV is also slated to launch Chandrayaan-1, India’s first mission to moon.

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) can launch 2 to 2.5 tonne satellite into GTO (200 km by 36,000 km). GSLV has four successful flights out of five missions with the last one being GSLV-F04/INSAT-4CR mission on September 2, 2007. Development of an indigenous cryogenic stage to replace presently used Russian cryogenic stage has been successfully realised.

• PSLV-C9 launched CARTOSAT-2A, IMS-1 and Eight nano-satellites on April 28,2008(Successful)
• PSLV-C10 launched on January 23, 2008 (Successful)
• GSLV-F04 launched on September 2, 2007 (Successful)
• PSLV-C8 launched on April 23, 2007 (Successful)
• PSLV-C7 launched on January 10, 2007 (Successful)
• GSLV-F02 launched on July 10, 2006 (Unsuccessful)
• PSLV-C6 launched on May 5, 2005 (Successful)
• GSLV-F01 launched on September 20, 2004 (Successful)
• PSLV-C5 launched on October 17, 2003 (Successful)
• GSLV-D2 launched on May 8, 2003 (Successful)
• PSLV-C4 launched on September 12, 2002 (Successful)
• PSLV-C3 launched on October 22, 2001 (Successful)
• GSLV-D1 launched on April 18, 2001 (Successful)
• PSLV-C2 launched on May 26, 1999 (Successful)
• PSLV-C1 launched on September 29, 1997 (Successful)
• PSLV-D3 launched on March 21, 1996 (Successful)
• PSLV-D2 launched on October 15, 1994 (Successful)
• ASLV-D4 launched on May 4, 1994 (Successful)
• PSLV-D1 launched on September 20, 1993 (Unsuccessful)
• ASLV-D3 launched on May 20, 1992 (Successful)
• ASLV-D2 launched on July 13, 1988 (Unsuccessful)
• ASLV-D1 launched on March 24, 1987 (Unsuccessful)
• SLV-3 D2 launched on April 17, 1983 (Successful)
• SLV-3 D1 launched on May 31, 1981 (Successful)
• SLV-3 E2 launched on July 18, 1980 (Successful)
• SLV-3 E1 launched on August 10, 1979 (Unsuccessful)

Space Science

Chandrayaan-1, India`s first un-manned lunar mission is a major initiative scheduled during 2008. The main objective is the investigation of the distribution of various minerals and chemical elements and high-resolution three-dimensional mapping of the entire lunar surface. The primary Indian scientific instruments on board Chandrayaan-1 include: Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC), Hyper Spectral Imager (HySI), High-Energy X-ray spectrometer (HEX), Lunar Laser Ranging Instrument (LLRI) and Moon Impact Probe (MIP). Three Scientific instruments from European Space Agency, two instruments from USA and one from Bulgaria are also included in the mission. Space capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE-1)