Science and Technology Quick Revision Part-5

by | Feb 8, 2025 | APPSC Group-2 Mains Paper-2 Science and Technology

Recent Indian Satellite Launches and its Applications

Recent Indian Satellite Launches

  • 30 December 2024 PSLV-C60/SPADEX Mission
  • 5 December 2024 PSLV-C59/Proba-3 Mission
  • 19 November 2024 GSAT-N2
  • 16 August 2024 SSLV-D3 SSLV-D3/EOS-08 Mission
  • 22 July 2024 ATV D03 Air Breathing Propulsion System (ATV D03)
  • 23 June 2024 RLV LEX -03 Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX -03)
  • 22 March 2024 RLV LEX -02 Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX -02)
  • 17 February 2024 GSLV-F14/INSAT-3DS MISSION GSLV-F14/INSAT-3DS MISSION
  • 01 January 2024 PSLV-C58/XPoSat Mission
  • 21 October 2023 PSLV-C57/Aditya-L1 Mission Gaganyaan TV-D1 Mission
  • 02 September 2023 PSLV-C57/Aditya-L1 Mission
  • 14 July 2023 Chandrayaan-3 Mission LVM3 M4 / Chandrayaan-3 Mission
  • 29 May 2023 GSLV-F12/NVS-01 Mission GSLV-F12/NVS-01 Mission
  • 22 April 2023 PSLV-C55/TeLEOS-2 Mission
  • 02 April 2023 Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX)
  • 26 March 2023 LVM3 M3 / OneWeb India-2 Mission
  • 10 February 2023 SSLV-D2/EOS-07 Mission
  • 26 November 2022 PSLV-C54/EOS-06 Mission
  • 23 October 2022 LVM3 M2 / OneWeb India-1 Mission
  • 07 August 2022 SSLV-D1/EOS-02 Mission
  • 30 Jun 2022 PSLV-C53/DS-EO Mission
  • 23 Jun 2022 GSAT-24
  • 14 February 2022 PSLV-C52/EOS-04
  • 12 August 2021GSLV-F10/EOS-03
  • 28 February 2021 PSLV-C51/ Amazonia-1
  • 17 December 2020 PSLV-C50/CMS-01
  • 07 November 2020 PSLV-C49/EOS-01
  • 17 January 2020 GSAT-30
  • 11 December 2019 PSLV-C48/RISAT-2BR1
  • 27 November 2019 PSLV-C47/Cartosat-3
  • 2 July 2019 GSLV-Mk III-M1/Chandrayaan-2
  • 22 May 2019 PSLV-C46/RISAT-2B
  • 01 April 2019 PSLV-C45/ EMISAT
  • 06 February 2019 GSAT-31
  • 24 January 2019 PSLV-C44/ Microsat-R

SPADEX Mission – PSLV-C6

  • The SPADEX mission, short for Space Docking Experiment aims to demonstrate the technology needed for rendezvous, docking, and undocking of two small spacecraft in a low-Earth circular orbit.
  • SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target) – two small satellites or spacecrafts.
  • Launched on 30 Decembe 2024.
  • SpaDeX mission successfully docked on 16 January 2025.
  • India becomes 4th country in the world after USA, Russia and China to achieve this technological feat.
  • It is 62nd PSLV flight .

Proba-3 Mission

  • Proba-3 is an European Space Agency (ESA) mission.
  • ISRO launched it using their PSLV C59 rocket.
  • It is a commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).
  • In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) mission of ESA.
  • Aims to demonstrate and test the technologies needed for precise formation flying of multiple spacecraft.
  • Consists of 2 spacecrafts viz. Coronagraph Spacecraft (CSC) and Occulter Spacecraft (OSC).

GSAT-N2 Mission (GSAT-20)

  • Communication satellite successfully launched by SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket.
  • The satellite was placed into a geostationary orbit.
  • It operates in the Ka-band.
  • ISRO’s first collaboration with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
  • Second demand-driven communication satellite mission undertaken by NSIL.

SSLV-D3/EOS-08 Earth Observation Satellite

  • It is the third developmental flight of SSLV.
  • This flight completes the SSLV Development Project and enables operational missions by Indian industry and NSIL.
  • SSLV is capable of launching Mini, Micro or Nanosatellites (10 to 500kg mass) into a 500 km planar orbit.
  • It has a liquid propulsion-based Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) as a terminal stage
  • SSLV-D2, launched on February 10, 2023, became the first SSLV to launch satellites successfully.
  • AzaadiSAT-2 was launched onboard SSLV-D2.
  • SSLV-D1 failed during its maiden launch on 7 August 7 2022.

Reusable Launch Vehicle Landing Experiment (RLV LEX)

  • RLV LEX is a series of experiments conducted by ISRO to test and validate the autonomous landing capabilities of its Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV).
  • RLV-TD (Technology Demonstrator) is a scaled-down prototype of a future two-stage-to-orbit reusable launch vehicle.
  • It’s designed to test various technologies crucial for reusability.
  • RLV-TD has been named “Pushpak”.
  • RLV-LEX-01 mission was conducted on 2 April 2 2023.
  • RLV-LEX-02 landing experiment was conducted on 22 March 2024.
  • RLV-LEX-03 mission was conducted on 23 June 2024.

GSLV-F14/INSAT-3DS Mission

  • In its 16th mission, the GSLV aims at deploying the INSAT-3DS meteorological satellite into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
  • Aims to monitor Earth’s surface, carry out Oceanic observations and its environment in various spectral channels of meteorological importance.
  • This mission is fully funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite)

  • India’s first dedicated polarimetry mission to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions.
  • It is a space observatory to study the polarization of X-rays from celestial sources.
  • The spacecraft will carry two scientific payloads in a low earth orbit.
  • Payloads POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing).
  • Telescope was developed by the Raman Research Institute (RRI) in close collaboration with U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC)
  • XPoSat is the second space-based experiment dedicated to studying X-ray polarization after NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), which was launched in December 2021.

Gaganyaan TV-D1 Mission

  • Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1) was the first test flight specifically designed to demonstrate the in-flight abort capability of the Crew Escape System (CES).
  • Aims to ensure that the Crew Escape System functions reliably in the event of a launch failure.

DS-SAR Mission

  • Commercial collaboration between NSIL and ST Engineering of Singapore.
  • DS-SAR carries a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload developed by Israel.
  • It is a radar imaging satellite for Earth observation.
  • Also carried six co-passenger satellites from Singapore.
  • Provides all-weather day and night coverage.

Aditya-L1 mission (PSLV-C57)

  • India’s first solar observatory in space launched by ISRO on 2 September 2023.
  • India’s first mission dedicated to studying the Sun, specifically the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona of Sun.
  • Aditya-L1 spacecraft was inserted into a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 1 (L1) on 6 January 2024.
  • L1 point is located between the sun-earth line, about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth.
  • The spacecraft’s halo orbit allows it to continuously observe the Sun without any occultation or eclipse.
  • A halo orbit is a result of the interaction between the gravitational pull of two planetary bodies and the centrifugal force on a spacecraft.
  • Aditya-L1 has seven payloads in total, of which the primary payload is the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC).
  • VELC is a solar coronagraph capable of simultaneous imaging, spectroscopy and spectropolarimetry.
  • Aditya-L1 mission’s director is Nigar Shaji.

Chandrayaan-3 Mission

  • Chandrayaan-3 is the third lunar mission by ISRO.
    • Launch Date: 14th July 2023
    • Landing Date: 23rd August 2023
    • Launch Vehicle: LVM3 (GSLV Mk III)
  • Mission Components
    • Propulsion Module – Placed the lander in the Moon’s orbit.
    • Vikram Lander – Performed a soft landing on the Moon.
    • Pragyan Rover – Explored the lunar surface & conducted experiments.
  • Key Achievements
    • India became the first country to land near the Moon’s South Pole.
    • Fourth nation to achieve a soft lunar landing (after USA, USSR, China).
    • Vikram Lander executed a hop experiment, showing future reusability.
    • Pragyan Rover confirmed sulfur (S), iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), and other elements in lunar soil.
    • Recorded moonquakes & temperature variations on the lunar surface.
    • Lander and rover operated for 14 Earth days (one lunar day) before going dormant due to the lunar night.
  • Lander payloads:
    • Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE)
    • Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA)
    • Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA)
    • Langmuir Probe (LP)
    • Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA)
  • Rover payloads:
    • Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS)
    • Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS)
  • Scientific Contributions
    • LIBS (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy): Identified elements in lunar soil.
    • ChaSTE (Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment): Measured temperature changes.
    • ILSA (Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity): Detected seismic activity on the Moon.
  • Scientists behind Chandrayaan-3 mission:
    • ISRO Chairman: S Somanath
    • Chandrayaan-3 Project Director: P Veeramuthuvel
    • Mission Director: Mohana Kumar
    • Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC): S Unnikrishnan Nair
    • Director of U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC): M Sankaran
    • Deputy Director of UR Rao Satellite Center: M Vanitha
    • Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) Chief: A Rajarajan

GSLV-F12/NVS-01 Mission

  • This mission launched NVS-01, the first of the second-generation NavIC satellites.
  • NVS series of satellites will sustain and augment the NavIC with enhanced features.
  • This series incorporates L1 band signals.
  • First time, an indigenous atomic clock flown in NVS-01.

TeLEOS-2 Mission

  • This is a dedicated commercial mission through NSIL with TeLEOS-2 as primary satellite and Lumelite-4 as a co-passenger satellite.
  • Aims to provide Singapore and the surrounding region with all-weather, day-and-night satellite imagery.

SSLV-D2/EOS-07 Mission

  • SSLV-D2 injected EOS-07, Janus-1 and AzaadiSAT-2 satellites into 450 km circular orbit
  • Aims to demonstrate and validate new technologies relevant to future Earth observation satellites.

OneWeb India-2 Mission

  • The sixth consecutive successful flight of LVM3 placed 36 satellites belonging to the OneWeb Group Company in their intended 450 km circular orbit.
  • OneWeb constellation aims to provide global internet coverage.

LVM3 M2 / OneWeb India-1 Mission

  • LVM3-M2 mission is a dedicated commercial mission for a foreign customer OneWeb, through NSIL.
  • It is the first multi-satellite mission with 36 OneWeb Satellites to the LEO.
  • OneWeb Constellation operates in a LEO Polar Orbit.
  • Salient features of OneWeb India-1 Mission
    • First Commercial Mission of LVM3.
    • First Multi-Satellite mission with 36 OneWeb Satellites onboard.
    • First launch of LVM3 to LEO.
    • First Indian rocket with six ton payload.
    • First NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) Mission with LVM3.
    • First OneWeb Mission with NSIL/DoS.

Amazonia-1

  • It is the optical earth observation satellite of National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
  • Amazonia-1 is the first dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).
  • 18 Co-passenger satellites were also launched along with Amazonia-1.

GSAT-30

  • Communication satellite aims to provide advanced telecommunication services, including DTH television, VSAT networks.
  • GSAT-30 is to serve as replacement to INSAT-4A spacecraft services with enhanced coverage.

EMISAT Mission

  • PSLV-C45 successfully injected EMISAT and 28 international customer satellites into their designated orbits.
  • This flight marked the first mission of PSLV-QL, a new variant of PSLV with four strap-on motors.

HysIS (Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite) Mission – PSLV-C43

  • Earth observation mission and the primary payload, a hyperspectral imaging satellite.
  • Launch Date: November 29, 2018.
  • Orbit: Sun-synchronous polar orbit.

GSAT-29

  • To provide high-bandwidth communication services to remote and rural areas of India.
  • Launch Date: 14 November 2018

GSAT-11 (India’s heaviest satellite)

  • Launched on 5 December 2018
  • Provides broadband services across the country.
  • It offers multi-spot beam antenna coverage over the Indian mainland and islands.
  • This ensures that even remote and underserved areas can access reliable communication services.

Important IRS satellites:

  • Cartosat Series (Cartography Satellites)
    • Purpose: High-resolution imaging for cartographic and urban planning applications.
    • Examples:
    • Cartosat-1 (2005): Stereo imagery for 3D mapping.
    • Cartosat-2 Series: Sub-meter resolution for military and civilian applications.
  • Resourcesat Series
    • Purpose: Monitoring agricultural and forestry resources.
    • Examples: Resourcesat-1 (2003) and Resourcesat-2 (2011)
  • RISAT Series (Radar Imaging Satellites)
    • Purpose: All-weather imaging using synthetic aperture radar (SAR).
    • The satellite will provide services in the field of Agriculture, Forestry and Disaster Management.
    • Examples:
    • RISAT-1 (2012): Microwave imaging.
    • RISAT-2 (2009): Defense and disaster management.
  • OceanSat Series
    • Purpose: Monitoring oceanographic parameters such as chlorophyll concentration and sea surface temperature.
    • Examples:
    • OceanSat-1 (1999) and OceanSat-3 (2022)
  • Resource Management Satellites
    • Purpose: Dedicated to resource mapping and disaster management.
    • Examples:
    • IMS-1 (2008): Compact, low-cost imaging satellite.
  • Scatsat-1 (2016)
    • Purpose: Weather forecasting and cyclone prediction.
  • SARAL (Satellite with Argos and Altika)
    • Joint Indo-French satellite mission for oceanographic studies.
    • Aims to study ocean circulation and sea surface elevation.

PSLV Variants:

PSLV-G (Generic):  

  • This is the original and most basic configuration of the PSLV.
  • It has four stages, using a combination of solid and liquid propulsion.

PSLV-CA (Core Alone):  

  • This variant is a lighter version of the PSLV, without the six strap-on boosters.  
  • It’s used for launching smaller payloads into polar orbits.
  • It’s more cost-effective than the standard PSLV for lighter missions.
  • First used on 23 April 2007.

PSLV-QL (Quick Launch):  

  • This variant is designed for faster turnaround times between launches.
  • It streamlines the launch process to reduce the time required for vehicle integration and readiness.  
  • First used for EMISAT mission in 2019.

PSLV-XL (Extended Version):

  • This is the most powerful version of the PSLV.  
  • It features larger strap-on boosters compared to the standard version, allowing it to carry heavier payloads.
  • First used in Chandrayaan-1 by PSLV-C11.

PSLV-DL (Dual Launch):

  • This configuration is designed to launch two satellites simultaneously.
  • It’s often used for rideshare missions where multiple smaller satellites are launched together.
  • First used for Microsat-R mission on 24 January 2019.

INSAT (Indian National Satellite System):

  1. Purpose:
    • Provides communication, broadcasting, meteorology, and search-and-rescue services.
  2. Key Features:
    • One of the largest domestic communication satellite systems in the Asia-Pacific region.
    • Operates in geostationary orbit (~36,000 km above Earth).
  3. Applications:
    • Television and radio broadcasting.
    • Telecommunication and broadband services.
    • Weather forecasting and disaster management.
    • Search-and-rescue operations.
  4. Important Satellites:
    • INSAT-1 Series: First-generation satellites (1980s).
    • INSAT-2 Series: First indigenously built communication satellites (1990s).
    • INSAT-3 Series: Advanced satellites for communication and weather monitoring (2000s).
    • INSAT-4 Series: High-power satellites for direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting (e.g., INSAT-4A, 4B).

IRS (Indian Remote Sensing Satellite System):

  1. Purpose:
    • Provides Earth observation data for agriculture, forestry, water resources, and urban planning.
  2. Key Features:
    • Operates in polar Sun-synchronous orbits (~600–800 km above Earth).
    • High-resolution imaging for resource management and environmental monitoring.
  3. Applications:
    • Agriculture: Crop monitoring, yield estimation.
    • Water resources: Mapping and management.
    • Disaster management: Flood, cyclone, and earthquake monitoring.
    • Urban planning and infrastructure development.
  4. Important Satellites:
    • IRS-1A (1988): First operational remote sensing satellite.
    • IRS-1C/1D: High-resolution imaging satellites (1990s).
    • CARTOSAT Series: High-resolution satellites for cartography (e.g., CARTOSAT-1, 2).
    • RESOURCESAT Series: For resource monitoring (e.g., RESOURCESAT-1, 2).
    • OCEANSAT Series: For ocean and atmospheric studies (e.g., OCEANSAT-1, 2).

NAVIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation)

  • Formerly called IRNSS – Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System.
  • India’s independent regional satellite navigation system for accurate positioning and timing services.
  • Coverage Area: India and surrounding regions (~1500 km beyond Indian borders).
  • Number of Satellites: 7 operational satellites.
  • Indigenous System: Unlike GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (EU), and BeiDou (China), NAVIC is fully Indian.
  • NAVIC Services
    • Standard Positioning Service (SPS) – Free for civilian users.
    • Restricted Service (RS) – Encrypted service for government, military, and strategic use.

Important Dates:

✦ 1962 – INCOSPAR formed by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

✦ 1 January 1965 – Space Science and Technology Centre (SSTC) was established at Veli hills near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, with the aim of developing launch vehicles (commonly called rockets) for launching satellites.

✦ 21 November 1963 – India launched its first sounding rocket, the Nike-Apache, from the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS). This launch marked the beginning of India’s space program. Nike-Apache was an American-made rocket.

✦ 1 January 1967 – Satellite Telecommunication Earth Station (ESCES) was established in Ahmedabad.

✦ 2 February 1968: Prime Minister Indira Gandhi dedicated the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) to the United Nations. This allowed for international scientific collaboration at the facility.

✦ 15 August 1969 – ISRO formed under DAE.

✦ 1 June 1972 – Space Commission and Department of Space set up

✦ 19 April 1975 – Aryabhata (India’s first satellite) launched by the Soviet Union.

✦ 7 June 1979 – India’s first experimental remote sensing satellite built in India.

✦ 20 November 1981 – India launched the Bhaskara-II satellite primarily for Earth observation purposes.

✦ 30 August 1983 – INSAT (Indian National Satellite System) program was initiated in 1983 with the launch of the INSAT-1B satellite.

✦ 20 September 1993 – PSLV was first launched (unsuccessful). First successful launch of October 1994.

✦ 18 April 2001 – GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) successfully launched with GSAT-1.

✦ 5 May 2005 – CARTOSAT-1 launched for high-resolution Earth imaging (a new era in Indian Remote Sensing Applications started).

✦ 10 January 2007 – PSLV-C7 launched CARTOSAT-2 and India’s first recoverable satellite, SRE-1 (Space Capsule Recovery Experiment).

✦ 12 March 2007 – INSAT-4B launched for direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting.

Source: GOI Websites, ISRO, PIB