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ISRO's Space Odyssey: Chandrayaan-3, Aditya L1 & Gaganyaan

Introduction

From carrying rocket parts on a bicycle to landing near the Moon's South Pole, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) has come a long way.

1. Recent Milestones

• Chandrayaan-3 (2023): First nation to land near Lunar South Pole. Vikram Lauder and Pragyan Rover.
• Aditya L1 (2023): India's first solar mission placed at Lagrange Point 1 (1.5 million km away).

2. Launch Vehicles

• PSLV: The Workhorse. Reliable for Earth Observation satellites.
• LVM3 (Fat Boy): Heaviest lifter. Used for Chandrayaan-3 and OneWeb constellation.

3. Upcoming Missions

• Gaganyaan: India's first human spaceflight (3 astronauts, 3 days, 400km orbit).
• NISAR: NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar.

4. Private Sector

IN-SPACe acts as the regulator. Startups like Skyroot and Agnikul are building valid launch vehicles.

Conclusion

Space is the new frontier of geopolitics, and ISRO ensures India has a seat at the high table.