Indian Space Research Program
an innovation of science and technology
Introduction
The Indian Space Research program was set up on August 15th, 1969, with it's headquarters residing in Bangalore; it's main focus was to send satellites up to space. It's Chairman is R.K Radhakrishnan, but the father of the Indian Space Program is Vikram Sarabhai. Vikram Sarabhai set up the Psychical Research Laboratory in November of 1947. It was set up in a few rooms of the M.G. Science Institute of The Ahmedabad Education Society, which was founded by his parents. Vikram saw the opportunity for new research in the field of solar and interplanetary physics, and in 1957 during the launch of Sputnik-1 Vikram was coined chairman of the brand new Indian Space Research Program. By November 13, 2013 the India Space Research program will have done 10 missions in one year, costing 1.3 Billion dollars.
Vikram Sarabhai, father of the India Space Program
Rockets
The very first satellite to ever be launched from India was the Aryabhatta; named after the great Indian mathematician whom founded zero. Aryabhatta was launched in 1975 by the Soviet Union from a base in Kapustin Yar. India's first mission to the moon was the Chadrayaan-1, sent up on August 22, 2008. India is planning their second moon mission for 2015, to be the Chandrayaan-2. In November 2013, India will be sending their first rocket- Mangalyaan- to Mars. Also in the near future, is the 2014 unmanned trip to sun; they will be sending the rocket Aditya-1.
Chandrayaan-1, India's first mission to the moon
SDSC SHAR
SDSC SHAR (Satish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota Range) is the launch station for low earth, geostationary, and polar orbits. It was founded by Satish Dhawan, former Chairman of the India Space Research program; but the current director is M.Y.S Prasad. It was chosen in 1969 for a satellite launching station, and became active in 1971. It is also the main base for the Indian Human Spaceflight Program; they were the ones who sent the first Indian man to space- Rakesh Sharma, and the first Indian woman to space- Kalpana Chawla. They are also setting up a training center in Bangalore for new astronauts.
Did you know?
- The heaviest satellite ever to be built by India was the G-SAT-10 communications satellite
- India broke the world record- previously held by Russia- and launched 10 satellites at the same time