23 August

NATIONAL SP CE DA
NATIONAL DAY
Touching lives while touching the Moon: India’s Space Saga

Space Odysseys

“We look down on our scientists if they

engage in outside consultation.
We implicitly promote the ivory tower.”
Dr Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai
T he Universe is magical as the power of infinity.
The myth of space is unveiled to us only Major ISRO
1 per cent. With the advanced technology
developed through time have the capability to Centres
discover that is yet to be found or believed to exist.
We are not alone, and our space continuously Vikram Sarabhai
reminds us of this fact. Space Centre (VSSC)
Our space-age was set back in the early 1960s. Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
Thumba got Dr Sarabhai’s attention as it is close (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram,
to the Earth’s Magnetic Equator and was the best is one of the lead centres
place to launch the first Sounding Rockets as its of ISRO responsible for the
location was ideal for scientific reasons. design and development of
launch vehicle technology. The
The Bishop and the people of Thumba agreed significant programmes at VSSC
to dedicate the Church for this mission. After include Rohini Sounding Rockets,
this Dr Sarabhai and other scientists including Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
Dr A P J Abdul Kalam and Homi Baba prepared (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite
for the launch and it was a successful one. With Launch Vehicle (GSLV) as well as the
this launch, India had successfully put its first development of Geosynchronous
signature on Space. The Thumba Equatorial Rocket Satellite Launch Vehicle (LVM 3),
Launching Station [TERLS] in Thiruvananthapuram Reusable Launch Vehicles, Advanced
for launching rockets for Upper Atmospheric Technology Vehicles, Air-breathing
Research was a miraculously destined event in the Propulsion and critical
history of India. technologies towards human
spaceflight.
St Mary Magdelene Church in the fishing village
of Thumba in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala served The Centre pursues active research
as the main office for scientists in the early stages and development in the fields of
of India’s Space Programme. The church is now Aeronautics, Avionics, Materials, Mechanisms,
preserved in its full glory even today, and it houses Vehicle Integration, Chemicals, Propulsion, Space
an impressive space museum. Ordnance, Structures, Space Physics and Systems
Reliability.
In the book, “Ignited Minds: Unleashing The Power
Within India” Dr A P J Abdul Kalam has beautifully Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC)
described this iconic event. Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) is the
centre for design, development and realisation of
Welcome to Liquid & Cryo Propulsion stages for ISRO’s Launch
Vehicles. LPSC activities and facilities spread across
the Space Club its two campuses:
Establishment of Space Science & Technology LPSC, Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram
Centre (SSTC) in Thumba in the year 1965 and
LPSC, Valaimala is responsible for Research and
Satellite Telecommunication Earth Station set up at Development, System Design/Engineering and
Ahmedabad in 1967 began the journey of becoming Project Management functions of all Liquid & Cryo
a spacefaring nation. Dr Sarabhai recognised stages related to PSLV, GSLV and LVM 3.
the potential of the country to be a spacefaring
nation like USSR after it launched Sputnik-1. LPSC, Bengaluru, Karnataka
The countdown for India to enter into space began LPSC, Bengaluru is responsible for the design and
with the establishment of Indian Space Research realisation of propulsion systems for Remote Sensing
Organisation [ISRO] in 1969. and Communication Satellites and other scientific
missions.
India joined the Space Club and since then has
effectively been successful in developing various ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC)
space technology for the rapid growth and
development of the nation. ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri
is equipped with the state-of-the-art facilities
One of the main characteristics of Indian Space necessary for realising the cutting edge propulsion
Programme is collaborating and cooperating with technology products for the Indian Space Programme.
other international spacefaring nations of the The centre houses a number of test stands and
Space Club. storage facilities for ground testing of Liquid,
 Indian Space Research Organisation

Semi-cryo and Cryo Stages. facilities for spacecraft integration and test facilities
IPRC is also responsible for the including a 6.5 Metre Thermo Vacuum Chamber, 29
supply of Storable Liquid & Cryo Ton Vibration Facility, Compact Antenna Test Facility
Propellants for ISRO’s Launch and Acoustic Test Facility under one roof. URSC has
Vehicles and Satellite Programmes. the distinction of building more than 100 satellites for
various applications like Scientific, Communication,
Satish Dhawan Space Navigation and Remote Sensing.
Centre (SDSC) SHAR Space Applications Centre (SAC)
Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) Space Applications Centre (SAC) at Ahmedabad
SHAR, Sriharikota, the Spaceport of contributes significantly in scientific and planetary
India, is responsible for providing Launch missions of ISRO – Chandrayaan-1 and Mars Orbiter
Base Infrastructure for the Indian Space Mission. The government and the private sector
Programme. SDSC SHAR has two launch pads utilize the Communication Transponders developed at
from where the rocket launching operations this centre for Geosynchronous Satellite (GSAT) series
of PSLV and GSLV are carried out. The island has of satellites for VSAT, DTH, Internet, Broadcasting,
storage and servicing facilities of critical Liquid & Telephones etc.
Cryo propellants to the launch vehicle. The range
is supported with ultra-modern support systems SAC designs and develops the Optical and Microwave
like CCTV, Timing, Communication and Computer Sensors for the Satellites, Different Antennas, Powerful
Networks. The centres has Asia’s largest Solid Amplifiers including TWTA, Signal and Image Processing
Software, GIS Software and many applications for
Propellant Processing facilities for producing and Earth Observation (EO) Programme of ISRO. These
Ground Testing Solid Propellant stages for PSLV applications are in diverse areas of Geosciences,
and GSLV. The launch complex has Assembly Agriculture, Environment and Climate Change,
& Integration facilities where different systems Physical Oceanography, Biological Oceanography,
and assemblies received from work centres will Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Hydrosphere, etc.
get integrated into launch vehicle stages and
transported to launch pad for final assembly. The ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and
Range Comprises of multiple tracking radars which
can track launch vehicle upto thousands of kilometers Command Network (ISTRAC)
and weather radars to assess the weather conditions ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network
during the launch window on hourly basis, Telemetry (ISTRAC) Bengaluru is entrusted with the primary
systems, remote Checkout Systems and Launch & responsibility to provide tracking support for all the
Satellite and Launch Vehicle missions of ISRO using
Mission Control Centres. SDSC SHAR has a separate their ground stations across the world along the
launch pad for launching sounding rockets. trajectory paths of PSLV and GSLV. The vital objectives
of the centre are:
ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) • Carrying out mission operations of all operational
ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), Thiruvananthapuram Remote Sensing and Scientific Satellites and
providing Telemetry Tracking & Command
is responsible for the design and development of (TTC) Services from launch vehicle lift-off till the
Inertial Systems for Launch Vehicles and Spacecraft injection of the satellite into orbit
programmes of ISRO. Major systems like Inertial • To estimate its preliminary orbit in space
Navigation Systems based on Mechanical Gyros and • Hardware and Software Developmental activities
Optical Gyros, Attitude Reference Systems, Rate Gyro that enhance the capabilities of ISTRAC for
Packages and Accelerometer Packages, Sensors and providing flawless TTC and Mission Operations
NGC packages are developed indigenously and used Services.
in various missions of ISRO. IISU also designs and
develops Actuators and Mechanisms for Spacecraft Master Control Facility (MCF)
and Allied Applications. Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka
and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh monitors and controls
U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) all the Geostationary / Geosynchronous satellites of
U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Bengaluru, formerly ISRO – INSAT, GSAT, Kalpana and IRNSS series of
known as ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) is the significant satellites. MCF is responsible for orbit raising of
centre for building satellites and developing associated satellites, In-orbit payload testing, and On-orbit
satellite technologies. These spacecraft are utilised operations all through the life of these satellites.
for providing applications to various users in the MCF activities include round-the-clock Tracking
area of Communication, Navigation, Meteorology, Telemetry & Commanding (TTC) operations, and
Remote Sensing, Space Science and Interplanetary special operations like Eclipse Management, Station-
Explorations. ISRO Satellite Integration and Test keeping Manoeuvres and Recovery Actions in case of
Establishment (ISITE) with state-of-the-art clean room contingencies.
National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) human science and technology while conforming to
high standards of reliability and human safety. HSFC is
National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) at Hyderabad is currently concentrating on Gaganyaan mission with
responsible for Remote Sensing Satellite Data Acquisition thrust on areas like end-to-end mission planning,
and Processing, Data Dissemination, Aerial Remote Sensing development of Orbital Module (OM), development
and Decision Support for Disaster Management. NRSC of Life support systems, selection and training
Ground Station at Shadnagar acquires Earth Observation of astronauts, development of various Training
Data from Indian Remote Sensing Satellites as well as from simulators, co-ordination in Recovery and rehabilitation
different foreign satellites. of astronauts, collaboration with National and
NRSC is also engaged in executing Remote Sensing International agencies/institutions for multi-directional
Application Projects in collaboration with the users. The growth to act as a technology aggregator.
Aerial Services and Digital Mapping (ASDM) Area provides Apart from Gaganyaan, HSFC will focus in the future
end-to-end Aerial Remote Sensing Services and value-added on new areas of technology development, significant
solutions for various large scale applications like Aerial amongst them includes nurturing and creating new
Photography and Digital Mapping, Infrastructure Planning, expertise in the domains of Bioastronautics, Human
Scanner Surveys, Aeromagnetic Surveys, Large Scale Base space sciences, and Space habitat systems. The Centre
Map, Topographic and Cadastral Level Mapping, etc. will develop the necessary expertise to sustain the
Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) human space flight activities in the country, including
the capability to build Orbiting space station and
HSFC was formed on January 30, 2019. As a lead Centre become active partners in collaborative interplanetary
for human space flight activities, HSFC will undertake manned missions to Moon/Mars and near-Earth
multi-disciplinary R&D activities in new domains of Asteroids.

D e p a r t m e nt o f S p a ce
O rg a n i s at i o n C h a r t
PRIME MINISTER
SPACE COMMISSION

DEPARTMENT OF SPACE

AUTONOMOUS BODIES ISRO IN-SPACe CPSEs

ISRO COUNCIL
PRL NARL NE-SAC IIST ANTRIX NSIL

VSSC LPSC SDSC URSC SAC NRSC HSFC IPRC IISU ISTRAC MCF LEOS IIRS

ISRO Indian Space Research Organisation SDSC Satish Dhawan Space Centre
INSPACe Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre URSC U R Rao Satellite Centre
CPSEs Central Public Sector Enterprises SAC Space Applications Centre
PRL Physical Research Laboratory NRSC National Remote Sensing Centre
NARL National Atmospheric Research Laboratory HSFC Human Space Flight Centre
NE-SAC North Eastern Space Applications Centre IPRC ISRO Propulsion Complex
IIST Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology IISU ISRO Inertial Systems Unit
Antrix Antrix Corporation Limited ISTRAC ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network
NSIL NewSpace India Limited MCF Master Control Facility
VSSC Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre LEOS Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems
LPSC Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre IIRS Indian Institute of Remote Sensing

Capacity Building and Public Outreach (CBPO)

Indian Space Research Organisation
July 2024

Department of Space, Government of India

Antariksh Bhavan, New BEL Road, Bengaluru-560094, India