India’s space program, led by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), began in the early 1960s with a focus on peaceful applications like remote sensing, communication, and scientific research. Below is a comprehensive timeline of key milestones and missions, compiled from reliable sources. This includes foundational events, major satellite launches, exploration missions, and recent developments up to August 2025. For brevity, it highlights significant achievements rather than every single launch (ISRO has conducted over 130 spacecraft missions and 100 launch missions to date). Missions are listed chronologically, with details on purpose and outcome where applicable.
| Year | Event/Mission | Description and Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Formation of INCOSPAR | Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) established under the Department of Atomic Energy, led by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, marking the start of organized space research in India. |
| 1963 | First Sounding Rocket Launch | Nike-Apache sounding rocket launched from Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala – India’s first rocket launch, initiating experimental space activities. Success. |
| 1965 | Establishment of Space Science and Technology Centre (SSTC) | SSTC set up in Veli Hills, Kerala, to develop launch vehicles for satellites. |
| 1967 | First Experimental Satellite Communication Earth Station | Established in Ahmedabad to lay groundwork for satellite communications. |
| 1968 | TERLS Dedicated to the United Nations | Prime Minister Indira Gandhi dedicates TERLS to the UN, emphasizing peaceful space exploration. |
| 1969 | Formation of ISRO | INCOSPAR evolves into ISRO under the Department of Atomic Energy. |
| 1972 | Formation of Space Commission and Department of Space | ISRO transferred to the new Department of Space; airborne remote sensing experiments begin. |
| 1975 | Aryabhata | India’s first satellite launched via Soviet Kosmos-3M rocket for scientific experiments. Operated for 5 days before signal loss. Success. |
| 1975 | Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) | Joint NASA-ISRO project using satellites for rural education broadcasting. Success. |
| 1977 | Satellite Telecommunication Experiments Project (STEP) | Joint ISRO-Post & Telegraphs project for telecom experiments. |
| 1979 | Bhaskara-I | First experimental remote sensing satellite launched via Soviet rocket. Success. |
| 1979 | SLV-3 First Experimental Flight | India’s first indigenous launch vehicle test; failed to orbit but foundational for future successes. |
| 1980 | Rohini (RS-1) | First successful indigenous satellite launch using SLV-3; India becomes 6th nation to launch its own satellite. Success. |
| 1981 | APPLE | First indigenous communication satellite launched via Ariane rocket. Success. |
| 1981 | Bhaskara-II | Second remote sensing satellite. Success. |
| 1982 | INSAT-1A | First INSAT series satellite for telecom and meteorology; deactivated after failure. |
| 1983 | INSAT-1B | Communication and weather satellite. Success. |
| 1984 | Indo-Soviet Manned Mission | Rakesh Sharma becomes first Indian in space aboard Soyuz T-11. Success. |
| 1987 | ASLV First Developmental Flight (SROSS-1) | Augmented SLV test; failed to orbit. |
| 1988 | IRS-1A | First operational remote sensing satellite in polar orbit. Success. |
| 1990 | INSAT-1D | Communication satellite. Success. |
| 1991 | IRS-1B | Second remote sensing satellite. Success. |
| 1992 | INSAT-2A | First fully indigenous multipurpose satellite. Success. |
| 1992 | SROSS-C | First successful ASLV launch. Success. |
| 1993 | INSAT-2B | Multipurpose satellite. Success. |
| 1994 | PSLV First Successful Flight (IRS-P2) | Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle debuts with remote sensing satellite. Success. |
| 1996 | IRS-1C | Earth-imaging satellite launched via Russian rocket. Success. |
| 1997 | INSAT-2D | Communication satellite; became inoperable later. |
| 1999 | INSAT-2E | Multipurpose satellite for telecom and meteorology. Success. |
| 2001 | GSLV First Successful Launch (GSAT-1) | Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle debut with communication satellite (using Russian cryogenic engine). Partial success (did not reach intended orbit). |
| 2008 | Chandrayaan-1 | India’s first lunar mission; discovered water on the Moon. Success. |
| 2013 | Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) | India’s first interplanetary mission to Mars. Success; entered orbit. |
| 2015 | ASTROSAT | Multi-wavelength astronomy satellite. Ongoing success. |
| 2019 | Chandrayaan-2 | Lunar orbiter, lander, and rover mission. Partial success (orbiter functional; lander crashed). |
| 2023 | Chandrayaan-3 | Successful soft landing on Moon’s south pole with Vikram lander and Pragyan rover. Success. |
| 2023 | Aditya-L1 | Solar observatory at L1 point to study the Sun. Success; entered orbit in January 2024. |
| 2024 | XPoSat | X-ray polarimeter satellite for cosmic studies. Success. |
| 2025 (Jan) | NVS-02 | Navigation satellite launched via GSLV-F15; enhances NavIC system. Success (ISRO’s 100th launch mission). |
| 2025 (May) | EOS-09 | Earth observation satellite launched via PSLV-C61. Success. |
| 2025 (Jun) | Axiom Mission 4 | Joint NASA-ISRO human spaceflight to ISS; first Indian astronaut opportunity since 1984. Success (launched June 25). |
| 2025 (Jul) | NISAR | Joint NASA-ISRO radar imaging satellite for Earth observation (land, ice, ecosystems). Launched July 30; in orbit and operational. |
Upcoming Missions (Planned as of August 2025)
- Gaganyaan-1 (Q4 2025): Uncrewed test flight for India’s human spaceflight program.
- Chandrayaan-4 (2027): Lunar sample-return mission.
- Venus Orbiter Mission (2028): Atmospheric study of Venus.
- Bharatiya Antariksha Station (2028–2035): India’s space station project.
This timeline reflects ISRO’s evolution from basic rocket tests to advanced interplanetary and human spaceflight capabilities. For a full list of all 131+ spacecraft missions, refer to ISRO’s official records or Wikipedia’s detailed catalog.