Tell about ISRO ?

Academics have benefited hugely from ISRO over the years, with the IGNOU using the organisation’s satellite capabilities

In 2008-09, the Indian Space and Research Organisation successfully launched a lunar orbiter, Chandrayaan-1, which discovered evidence of water on the moon. Mangalyaan was developed from technology tested during the Chandrayaan mission.

Apart from bigwigs from ISRO and other related space bodies, two of India’s biggest industrialists – Ratan Tata and Jamshyd Godrej – are on the board.

ISRO has become a leading launch agent in the international space market; clients include France, Italy, Canada, Singapore and Israel

. Behind US, Russia, France, Japan and China, India has become only the 6th member of an elite group with the capability of launching into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) with the successful launch of GSLV-D5

. Coincidentally, in 2014 ISRO also used the largest parachute seen in action in the country amounting to 31 metres in diameter

ISRO WAS FORMED ON INDEPENDENCE DAY, 1969 BY DR.VIKRAM SARABHAI.

SLV-3 WAS INDIA’S FIRST INDIGENOUS SATELLITE LAUNCH VEHICLE AND A.P.J. ABDUM KALAM JI WAS THE DIRECTOR OF THE PROJECT.

The vehicle was launched by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on July 18, 1980. Former President A P J Abdul Kalam was the Project Director of SLV-3. The SLV-3 weighed 17 tonne and had a payload of 40 kg. The SLV-3 put 35 kg Rohini Satellite into the orbit.

ISRO’S EXPENDITURE IN THE LAST 40 YEARS = HALF OF NASA’S SINGLE YEAR BUDGET.

ISRO’S BUDGET IS ONLY 0.34 PER CENT OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE AT PRESENT AND 0.08 PER CENT OF THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP).

ISRO ALSO DEVELOPED BHUVAN, A WEB-BASED 3D SATELLITE IMAGERY TOOL WHICH IS THE INDIAN INCARNATION OF GOOGLE EARTH.

ISRO HAS 13 CENTERS SPREAD ALL ACROSS INDIA.

ISRO is also working on a Human Spaceflight Program to undertake a human spaceflight mission to carry a crew of two to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and return them safely to a predefined destination on earth.

To accomplish this feat, ISRO is developing ISRO Orbital Vehicle capable of carrying three astronauts for seven days in a near earth orbit

ISRO will set up an astronaut training centre in Bangalore to prepare personnel for flights on board the crewed vehicle. The center will use simulation facilities to train the selected astronauts in rescue and recovery operations and survival in zero gravity, and will undertake studies of the radiation environment of space.

SO, YOU THINK IT’S JUST A SMALL ORGANIZATION?

Last year, it saw a turnover of Rs. 14 billion!

YOU CAN ACTUALLY BUY SATELLITE DATA.

THEY DO MUCH MORE THAN JUST LAUNCHING SATELLITES .

They are developing an orbital vehicle as well as setting up a training center in Bangalore to train astronauts. Don’t hold your breath, though, this is likely to happen only post 2017.

MEET ANTRIX, THE CORPORATE ARM OF ISRO.

Antrix deals with the commercialization of space products, consultancy and technology transfer developed by the ISRO. It has clientele worldwide – Europe, Middle East and SE Asia.

GUESS WHO ARE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ANTRIX?

Apart from bigwigs from ISRO and other related space bodies, two of India’s biggest industrialists – Ratan Tata and Jamshyd Godrej – are on the board.