India's space agency, India Space Research Organisation (ISRO), blazed a trail in 2023. Not only did it become the first nation to land on the Moon's south pole with Chandrayaan-3, but it also launched its first dedicated sun-observing spacecraft, Aditya L1. These groundbreaking feats further solidified India's position as the 5th country with complete space research and development capabilities.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space, in a reply to Lok Sabha question, " “India is the fifth amongst spacefaring nations having end-to-end capabilities in space research and development, including the capability to launch from our own land and operate programs of earth observation, satellite communication, meteorology, space science & navigation and ground infrastructure.”
Dr. Singh further added, “27 satellites and 22 Launch Vehicle missions have been accomplished during the period (July 2018 – July 2023), besides the successful Pad Abort Test (PAT) to qualify the Crew Escape System (CES) in July 2018 and the Reusable Launch Vehicle autonomous landing mission in April 2023”.
But there are more feats to the list of achievements of ISRO in the year 2023. Let us have a look at them.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission
India's successful landing on the Moon's south pole with Chandrayaan-3 on August 23, 2023, was a truly historic achievement. It marked the first time any nation had landed in this uncharted region, opening up new possibilities for lunar exploration and scientific discovery.
Congratulations @isro. Another technology milestone achieved in our future space endeavours including our goal to send an Indian to Moon by 2040. https://t.co/emUnLsg2EA
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 6, 2023
Aditya-L1 Mission
Aditya-L1 is India's first dedicated mission to study the Sun. Launched in September 2023, it orbits the Sun from a unique vantage point called the L1 Lagrange point, where the gravitational pull of the Sun and Earth balance out. Equipped with seven advanced instruments, Aditya-L1 will study the Sun's corona, chromosphere, and solar wind, helping us understand solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and space weather.
Aditya-L1 Mission:
— ISRO (@isro) December 8, 2023
The SUIT payload captures full-disk images of the Sun in near ultraviolet wavelengths
The images include the first-ever full-disk representations of the Sun in wavelengths ranging from 200 to 400 nm.
They provide pioneering insights into the intricate details… pic.twitter.com/YBAYJ3YkUy
Also read: What is Aditya L1? All You Need To Know About India’s First Solar Mission
Reusable Launch Vehicle Test
On April 2, 2023, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved a major milestone – the first successful autonomous landing test of their Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) prototype. Conducted at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga, Karnataka, the RLV took off at 7:10 am IST by a Chinook Helicopter of the Indian Air Force as an underslung load and flew to a height of 4.5 km (above MSL).
Gaganyaan Module Propulsion System Test
ISRO conducted the first hot test on the Gaganyaan Service Module Propulsion System (SMPS) on July 19, 2023. On October 21, 2023, ISRO chief S. Somanath said, that Gaganyaan’s first Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1) was successfully accomplished. These successful tests pave the way for future Gaganyaan launches, bringing India closer to human spaceflight.
TeLEOS-2 Mission
In addition to these feats, ISRO also holds a few more accolades. On April 22nd, 2023, India's ISRO successfully launched two Singaporean satellites in a mission known as TeLEOS-2. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C55) carried the main payload, TeLEOS-2, weighing 741 kg, and a smaller co-passenger satellite, Lumelite-4, weighing 16 kg.
That is not all.
India aims to build an Indian space station by 2035 and land the first Indian on the lunar surface by 2040. On June 21, 2023, India also officially joined the Artemis Accords, becoming the 27th nation to do so. India's participation in the Artemis Accords marks a new chapter in its space exploration journey. This international agreement, led by the US, aims to establish a sustainable and peaceful framework for lunar exploration and development. This opens doors for India for joint research, resource sharing, and technology exchange with global partners like NASA, JAXA, and ESA.
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