In Photos: India's Milestones in Space From 1920s to Now

As NASA's Artemis 1 makes headlines, we remind you of India's journey in space research.

Father of India's space Research, Vikram Sarabhai with other prominent scientists and professors.

(Photo Courtesy: Physical Research Laboratory, Department of Space)

India has taken giant leaps in the field of aerospace research and space exploration, and over the years, achieved several milestones. Here’s a brief glimpse of India’s historic achievements in conquering space and the breakthroughs made to date.

India’s dive into space research can be traced back to the 1920s, with scientists SK Mitra, CV Raman, Meghnad Saha paving the way by conducting a series of experiments and contributing to principles applicable in the research of space sciences.

The decades of 1940 and 1950 saw important steps taken towards setting up a foundation for space research. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) was established and led under the able leadership of India’s iconic scientists – Vikram Sarabhai and Dr Homi Bhabha.

Under the vision of Vikram Sarabhai, the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was established in 1962. Also known as the father of India's space programme, Sarabhai worked closely with physicist KR Ramanathan and Dr Bhabha in laying the foundation for India's contribution to space research.

On 21 November, 1963, India launched its first sounding rocket – the US Nike Apache. The launch took place at Thumba Equitorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Interestingly, the rocket was launched from the grounds of a local church and 600 acres of surrounding land were acquired from the coastal community for the launch. Parts of the rocket were transported on bullock carts and assembled in a local high school in the area.

On 15th August, 1969, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was established under the Department of Space that falls directly under the purview of the Prime Minister of India. Previously known as INCOSPAR, the first space research agency set up in 1962, it was re-established as ISRO to increase the scope and infrastructure under space research.

1975: India launched its first satellite, Aryabhata into space on 19 April. Built by ISRO, the satellite was launched from a Russian rocket launch site, Kapustin Yar.

1979: Few years later, India launched the first experimental remote sensing satellite named Bhaskara-I. The images sent by this satellite were instrumental in hydrology, forestry and oceanographic studies.

On July 18, 1980, ISRO launched its first experimental satellite vehicle, SLV-3, making India only the sixth country in the world to do so. The SLV is a small-lift launch vehicle used to transport a spacecraft/satellite beyond the earth's orbit.

Indian Air Force pilot, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, was the first Indian citizen to enter space on 3 April 1984. Sharma was a part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme and the only Indian citizen aboard the Soyuz T-11. (Inset: Sharma with Soyuz T-11 crew.)

India launched its first lunar excursion, Chandrayaan 1, in October 2008. The lunar orbiter operated for just under a year and has several achievements to its name; the discovery of widespread presence of water molecules in lunar soil being the most pivotal outcome of this programme.

India launched its first Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), or Mangalyaan, on 5 November 2013. The space probe launched by ISRO has been successfully orbiting Mars since September 2014, making India the fourth country to achieve the interplanetary mission and the first country to do so in its maiden attempt.

After achieving partial success with Chandrayaan 1, ISRO launched the second lunar mission, Chandrayaan 2, in July 2019 to continue the study and exploration of lunar surface compositions. The Lunar exploration mission comprised of an orbiter, lander and a lunar rover, all made in India. However, the Indian-made Vikram lander crashed while attempting to land on the Moon on 6 September 2019.