A graphic history of Indian Space Venture

Sriharikota, Jan 10: From a humble beginning of testing sounding rockets to acquiring capability to launch communication and education satellites and the technology forerunner Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE-1), the Indian Space Programme has come a long way.

The launch of PSLV-C7, marked yet another first of success in the chequered history of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which had seen several ups and downs over the last four decades, more recently the failure of GSLV-F02 mission in July last year.

The unique feature of this launch was that it was for the first time India had launched four satellites in one mission.

Following are the important milestones in the Indian Space Programme: 1962: Indian National Committee for Space Research formed. Work on Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) began.

1963: First sounding rocket launched from TERLS on November 21.

1965: Space Science and Technology Centre established in Thumba.

1967: Satellite Communiation Earth Station set up in Ahmedabad.

1968: TERLS dedicated to the United Nations on February 2.

1969: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) formed on August 15.

1972: Space Commission and Department of Space set up on June 1 and air-borne remote sensing experiments commenced.

1975: First Indian Satellite, Aryabhatta, placed in orbit on April 19 by Cosmos Rocket from Russian Cosmodrome at Baikanour.

Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) began.

1977: Satellite Telecom Experiments Project (STEP) undertaken.

1979: Experimental Satellite for earth observations Bhaskara-1 placed in orbit by Cosmos rocket from Russian Cosmodrome on June 7.

First experimental launch of SLV-3 from Sriharikota range (SHAR) on August 10 partially failed.

1980: Second Experimental Launch of SLV-3 from SHAR on July 18 placed Rohini Satellite RS-D1 in orbit.

1981: First Developmental flight SLV-3 from SHAR placed RS-D1 Satellite in orbit on June 19.

Apple (Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment), an experimental Geostationary Communication Satellite, placed in orbit by Ariane rocket from Kourou in French Guyana on June 19.

Bhaskara-2 placed in orbit by Cosmos Rocket from Russian Cosmodrome on November 20.

1982: INSAT-1A placed in orbit by the United States' delta rocket on April 10. Deactivated five months later.

1983: Second Developmental Launch of SLV-3 from SHAR placed RS-D2 Satellite in orbit on April 17. INSAT-2B placed in orbit by the United States' space shuttle on August 30. Active for the next ten years. 1984: Indo-Soviet manned space mission in April. 1987: First Developmental Launch of ASLV from SHAR on March 24.

Flight unsuccessful.

1988: First Operational Indian Remote Sensing Satellite, IRS-1A placed by Vostok Rocket from Russian Cosmodrome on March 17.

Insat-1C placed by Ariane Rocket from Kourou on July 21 abandoned 15 months later following a power anomaly. Second Developmental launch of ASLV from SHAR on July 13 proved unsuccessful.

1990: INSAT-1D placed by the United States' Delta Rocket on June 12.

1991: IRS-1B placed by Vostok Rocket from Russian Cosmodrome on August 29.

1992: Third Developmental Flight of ASLV from SHAR on May 20 placed SROSS-C satellite in low earth orbit.

INSAT-2A, the first of the indigenously-built second generation INSAT satellites placed by Ariane Rocket from Kourou on July 10.

1993: INSAT-2B placed by Ariane Rocket from Kourou on July 23.

PSLV's First Developmental flight PSLV-D1 from SHAR on September 20, carrying IRS-1E unsuccessful.

1994: The Fourth Developmental Flight of ASLV placed SROSS-C2 satellite in low earth orbit on May 4 PSLV-D2, the Second Developmental Flight, launched successfully from SHAR to place IRS-P2 in Polar Sunsynchronous Orbit.

1995: INSAT-2C Satellite placed in orbit by Ariane Rocket from Kourou on December 7.

IRS 1C placed in orbit by Molniya Rocket from Russian Cosmodrome on December 28.

1996: PSLV-D3 launched successfully from SHAR to place IRS-P3 Satellite in intended orbit.

1997: INSAT-2D placed in orbit by Ariane Rocket from Kourou on June 4. PSLV-C1, the First Developmental Flight, launched successfully from SHAR to place, for the first time, 1200-kg class IRS-1D satellite. 1999: INSAT-2E, 2550-kg satellite placed in orbit by Ariane Rocket from Kourou on April 2.

1999: PSLV-C2, the Second Developmental Flight, launched successfully from SHAR and placed IRS-P4, Germany's Tubsat and Korea's Kitsat on May 26.

2000: INSAT-3B Satellite launched from Kourou on March 22.

2001: GSLV-D1 successfully launched from SHAR on April 18.

2001: PSLV-C3 launched triumphantly from SHAR, placing India's TES, Belgium's PROBA and Germany's BIRD satellites in orbit on October 22.

2002: Successful launch of INSAT-3C by Ariane from Kourou French Guyana on January 24.

2002: Maiden flight of PSLV-C4 to GTO launched successfully, carrying India's first exclusive meteorological satellite, METSAT.

2003: Successful launch of INSAT-3A by Ariane from Kourou French Guyana on April 10.

2003: Second Developmental launch of GSLV-D2 with GSAT-2 on board from Sriharikota on May 8.

2003: Successful launch of INSAT-3E by Ariane from Kourou French Guyana on September 28.

2003: ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C5, successfully launched RESOURCESAT-1 (IRS-P6) satellite from Sriharikota on October 17.

2004: The first operational flight of GSLV-F01 successfully launched EDUSAT, India's first exclusive satellite dedicated for education, from the SHAR, Sriharikota, on September 20.

2005: The newly-constructed state-of-the-art Second Launch Pad dedicated to the Nation by President A P J Abdul Kalam at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, (SHAR Range) Sriharikota on May 4.

The ninth flight of ISRO's reliable workhorse, PSLV-C6 successfully launched CARTOSAT-1 and HAMSAT from the Second Launch Pad at SHAR, Sriharikota, on May 5, 2005.

For the first time two satellites are launched in one single mission.

Successful launch of INSAT-4A by Ariane from Kourou French Guyana on December 22, 2005.

2006: The second operational flight of GSLV-F02 failed to launch INSAT-4C, the second satellite in the INSAT-4 series on July 10. For the first time GSLV was launched from the Second Launch Pad.

2007: PSLV-C7 successfully launched CARTOSAT-2, SRE-1 and two foreign satellites -- Indonesia's Lapan-Tubsat and Argentina's Pehuensat-1.

UNI