Revision
Indian Space Missions Timeline
A compact, tabular revision of India's major space milestones, satellites, launch vehicles and ISRO missions, for CAPF Paper I current events and science
CAPF wiki•2 min read•5 sections
At a glance
SubjectGeneral Science
RevisionSpaceISROScienceCurrent EventsPaper 1
Cover the right column and recall the year and significance. CAPF tests ISRO milestones, launch-vehicle names and flagship missions. Some recent and upcoming missions move year to year, so verify the latest dates. For science context see last minute general science and discoveries and inventions.
| Year |
Milestone |
| 1962 |
Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) set up |
| 1969 |
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) founded; Vikram Sarabhai is the father of the Indian space programme |
| 1975 |
Aryabhata, India's first satellite (launched by the Soviet Union) |
| 1980 |
SLV-3 places Rohini into orbit; India joins the spacefaring nations |
| 1984 |
Rakesh Sharma, first Indian in space (aboard a Soviet Soyuz) |
| Vehicle |
Role |
| SLV-3, ASLV |
Early experimental launchers |
| PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) |
Workhorse; Sun-synchronous and other orbits |
| GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) |
Heavier payloads to geostationary transfer orbit |
| GSLV Mk III / LVM3 |
Heaviest Indian launcher; human-rated for Gaganyaan |
| SSLV |
Small Satellite Launch Vehicle for small payloads |
| Mission |
Year and significance |
| Chandrayaan-1 |
2008; lunar orbiter; confirmed water molecules on the Moon |
| Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission) |
2013-14; India's first Mars mission; first nation to reach Mars orbit on its first attempt |
| Chandrayaan-2 |
2019; orbiter succeeded, lander Vikram crash-landed |
| Chandrayaan-3 |
2023; first successful soft landing near the lunar south pole region |
| Aditya-L1 |
2023; solar observatory at the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L1 |
| Gaganyaan |
Crewed orbital mission (in development); verify the latest |
| NavIC (IRNSS) |
Indian regional navigation satellite system |
| Fact |
Answer |
| Father of the Indian space programme |
Vikram Sarabhai |
| India's first satellite |
Aryabhata (1975) |
| First Indian in space |
Rakesh Sharma (1984) |
| ISRO workhorse launcher |
PSLV |
| First Indian Mars mission |
Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission) |
| First soft landing near the lunar south pole |
Chandrayaan-3 (2023) |
| Indian navigation system |
NavIC (IRNSS) |