A. The NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) Mission(Expected To Be Launched In 2024) will measure Earth’s changing ecosystems, dynamic surfaces, and ice masses providing information about biomass, natural hazards, sea level rise, and groundwater, and will support a host of other applications.

Q. What Is Bhaskara Sega-I?

A. Bhaskara Sega-I(Launched In 1979) Is India's first experimental remote sensing satellite carried TV and microwave cameras.

Q. What Is Earth Observation Satellite?

A. Earth Observation Satellite is the largest civilian remote sensing satellite constellation in the world - thematic series of satellites supporting multitude of applications in the areas of land and water resources; cartography; and ocean & atmosphere.

Q. What Is ISRO's Student Satellites Program?

A. ISRO's Student Satellite program is envisaged to encourage various Universities and Institutions for the development of Nano/Pico Satellites.

List of Indian Satellites Launched 1975 to 2024

Table of Contents

This article presents a comprehensive list of Indian satellites launched from 1975 to 2024, an essential resource for students preparing for competitive exams, especially in the government sector. Understanding the timeline and significance of these satellite launches can greatly enhance general awareness, a critical component in these examinations. By thoroughly studying this list, aspirants can gain valuable insights into India’s advancements in space technology, boosting their knowledge and preparedness for related questions in various exams.

What Is a Satellite?

Satellites, also known as artificial satellites, are deliberately placed in orbit around celestial bodies. These man-made objects serve a wide range of purposes, including communication relay, weather forecasting, navigation, broadcasting, scientific research, and Earth observation. Satellites play a vital role in various fields, enabling us to gather valuable data and enhance our understanding of the world.

A satellite is an object in space that orbits or circles around a bigger thing. There are two kinds of satellites: natural (such as the moon orbiting the Earth) or artificial (such as the International Space Station orbiting the Earth).
Since 1975, India has been successfully launching a varied range of satellites.
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), a State-run space agency of India, is responsible for designing, building, launching, and operating these satellites.

Snapdragon Satellite Technology

Type Of Satellites

In order to fulfill its vision and service goals, the Department of Space has been developing mainly satellites for communication, earth observation, scientific, navigation, and meteorological purposes.

SATELLITES
Type of Satellite	Application
Communication Satellites	Supports telecommunication, television broadcasting, satellite news gathering, societal applications, weather forecasting, disaster warning, and Search and Rescue operation services.
Earth Observation Satellites	Provides remote sensing data for land and water resources management, cartography, oceanography, atmospheric monitoring, and other Earth observation applications.
Scientific Spacecraft	Conducts research in areas such as astronomy, astrophysics, planetary and Earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, and theoretical physics.
Navigation Satellites	Offers navigation services for civil aviation requirements and user demands of positioning, navigation, and timing based on independent satellite navigation systems.
Experimental Satellites	Mainly used for experimental purposes, including remote sensing, atmospheric studies, payload development, orbit controls, and recovery technology testing.
Small Satellites	Sub 500 kg class satellites that serve as a platform for stand-alone payloads for Earth imaging and science missions with a quick turnaround time.
Student Satellites	Part of ISRO’s Student Satellite program, encouraging universities and institutions to develop Nano/Pico Satellites for educational and research purposes.

Beidou Satellite Navigation System

List Of Satellites Launched In India

India has launched several significant satellites through ISRO. These include the INSAT series for communication and weather forecasting, the Cartosat series for Earth observation and mapping, and the Mangalyaan mission (Mars Orbiter Mission), which marked India’s achievement as the first country to reach Mars.

List Of Satellites Launched In India
Launch year	Satellite	Importance
1975	Aryabhatta	India’s first satellite.
1979	Bhaskara Sega-I	India’s first experimental remote sensing satellite carried TV and microwave cameras.
1979	Rohini Technology Payload	The First Indian launch vehicle Failed to achieve orbit.
1980	Rohini RS-1	India’s first indigenous satellite launch was used for measuring the in-flight performance of the second experimental launch of SLV-3.
1981	Rohini RS-D1	Launched by the first developmental launch of SLV-3, used for conducting remote sensing technology studies using a sensor payload.
	Apple	First experimental communication satellite.
	Bhaskara-II	Second experimental remote sensing satellite.
1982	INSAT-1A	First operational multipurpose communication and meteorology satellite.
1983	Rohini RS-D2	Identical to RS-D1.
1983	INSAT-1B	Identical to INSAT-1A.
1987	SROSS-1	It carried a payload for launch vehicle performance monitoring and for gamma-ray astronomy. Failed to achieve orbit.
1988	IRS-1A	India’s first operational remote sensing satellite.
	SROSS-2	Carried remote sensing payload of the German space agency and gamma-ray astronomy payload.
	INSAT-1C	Same as INSAT-1A.
1990	INSAT-1D	Identical to INSAT-1A.
1991	IRS-1B	Improved version of IRS-1A.
1992	INSAT-2DT	Launched as Arabsat 1C.
	SROSS-C	It carried gamma-ray astronomy and aeronomy payload.
	INSAT-2A	The first satellite in the second-generation Indian-built INSAT-2 series.
1993	INSAT-2B	The second satellite in the INSAT-2 series.
1993	IRS-1E	Earth observation satellite. Failed to achieve orbit.
1994	SROSS-C2	Identical to SROSS-C.
1994	IRS-P2	Launched by the second developmental flight of PSLV.
1995	INSAT-2C	It has capabilities such as mobile satellite service, business communication, and television outreach beyond Indian boundaries.
1995	IRS-1C	Launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome.
1996	IRS-P3	It carried a remote sensing payload and an X-ray astronomy payload.
1997	INSAT-2D	Same as INSAT-2C.
1997	IRS-1D	Same as IRS-1C.
1999	INSAT-2E	Multipurpose communication and meteorological satellite.
1999	OceanSat-1	It carried an OCM and MSMR.
2000	INSAT-3B	Multipurpose communication satellite.
2001	GSAT-1	Experimental satellite for the first developmental flight of GSLV-D1. Failed to complete its mission.
2001	TES	It is considered a prototype for future Indian spy satellites.
2002	INSAT-3C	Augmented the INSAT capacity for communication and broadcasting
2002	Kalpana-1	First meteorological satellite built by ISRO.
2003	INSAT-3A	Multipurpose communication satellite, similar to INSAT-2E and Kalpana-1.
	GSAT-2	Experimental satellite for the second developmental test flight of GSLV.
	INSAT-3E	Communication satellite to augment the existing INSAT System.
	ResourceSat-1	Intended to supplement and replace IRS-1C and IRS-1D.
2004	GSAT-3	India’s first exclusive educational satellite.
2005	CartoSat-1	Earth observation satellite.
	HamSat	Micro-satellite built in collaboration with Indian and Dutch researchers.
	INSAT-4A	Advanced satellite for direct-to-home television broadcasting services.
2006	INSAT-4C	Geosynchronous communications satellite. Failed to achieve orbit.
2007	CartoSat-2	Advanced remote sensing satellite
	SRE-1	An experimental satellite that was launched as a co-passenger with CARTOSAT-2.
	INSAT-4B	Identical to INSAT-4A.
	INSAT-4CR	Identical to INSAT-4C.
2008	CartoSat-2A	Identical to CARTOSAT-2.
	IMS-1	Low-cost microsatellite imaging mission. Launched as co-passenger with CARTOSAT-2A.
	Chandrayaan-1	India’s first unmanned lunar probe.
2009	RISAT-2	Radar imaging satellite. Launched as a co-passenger with ANUSAT.
	AnuSat-1	Research micro-satellite. It has since been retired.
	OceanSat-2	Continues mission of OceanSat-1.
2010	GSAT-4	Communications satellite with technology demonstrator features. Failed to achieve orbit.
	CartoSat-2B	Identical to CartoSat-2A.
	StudSat	India’s first pico-satellite (weighing less than 1 kg).
	GSAT-5P	C-band communication satellite. Failed to achieve the mission.
2011	ResourceSat-2	Identical to ResourceSat-1.
	YouthSat	Indo-Russian stellar and atmospheric mini-satellite.
	GSAT-8 or INSAT-4G	Communications Satellite
	GSAT-12	Augmented the capacity of the INSAT system for various communication services.
	Megha-Tropiques	Jointly developed by ISRO and the French CNES.
	Jugnu	Nano-satellite developed by IIT Kanpur.
	SRMSat	Nano-satellite developed by SRM Institute of Science and Technology.
2012	RISAT-1	India’s first indigenous all-weather Radar Imaging Satellite.
2012	GSAT-10	India’s advanced communication satellite.
2013	SARAL	Joint Indo-French satellite mission for oceanographic studies.
	IRNSS-1A	The first of seven satellites in the IRNSS navigational system.
	INSAT-3D	It is a meteorological Satellite with advanced weather monitoring payloads.
	GSAT-7	It is an advanced multi-band communication satellite dedicated to military use.
	Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or Mangalyaan-1	India’s first Mars orbiter.
2014	GSAT-14	Intended to replace GSAT-3, and to augment the in-orbit capacity of Extended C and Ku-band transponders.
	IRNSS-1B	It is the second of seven satellites in the IRNSS system.
	IRNSS-1C	It is the third satellite in the IRNSS.
	GSAT-16	It has the highest number of transponders in a single satellite (48 transponders).
2015	IRNSS-1D	It is the fourth satellite in the IRNSS.
	GSAT-6	Communication satellite that marks the success of an indigenously developed upper-stage cryogenic engine.
	Astrosat	India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory.
	GSAT-15	Communications satellite.
2016	IRNSS-1E	It is the fifth satellite in the IRNSS.
	IRNSS-1F	It is the sixth satellite in the IRNSS.
	IRNSS-1G	It is the seventh satellite in the IRNSS.
	Cartosat-2C	Identical to CARTOSAT-2,2A and 2B.
	SathyabamaSat	A micro-satellite designed and built by Sathyabama University, Chennai.
	Swayam-1	A 1-U pico-satellite designed and built by the students of the College of Engineering, Pune.
	INSAT-3DR	An advanced meteorological satellite
	Pratham	A mini-satellite built by students and researchers at IIT, Mumbai.
	PISat	A micro-satellite designed and built by the students of PES Institute of Technology, Bengaluru.
	ScatSat-1	Miniature satellite to provide weather forecasting, cyclone prediction, and tracking services to India.
	GSAT-18	The heaviest satellite owned by India at the time of its launch.
	ResourceSat-2A	Identical to Resourcesat-1 and Resourcesat-2.
2017	CartoSat-2D	ISRO holds the world record for launching the most satellites by a single launch vehicle.
	INS-1A	One of 2 nano-satellites designed and manufactured by ISRO, as part of the constellation of 104 satellites launched in a single go.
	INS-1B	One of 2 nano-satellites designed and manufactured by ISRO, as part of the constellation of 104 satellites launched in a single go.
	South Asia Satellite	It is offered by India as a diplomatic initiative to its neighboring countries (SAARC region) for communication, remote sensing, resource mapping, and disaster management applications.
	GSAT-19	It is the heaviest rocket (and the heaviest satellite) to be launched by ISRO from Indian soil.
	NIUSat	It is built by the students of Noorul Islam University, Kanyakumari.
	CartoSat-2E	7th satellite in the Cartosat series to be built by ISRO.
	GSAT-17	India’s 18th communication (and to date, its heaviest) satellite
	IRNSS-1H	First satellite to be co-designed and built-in collaboration with private sector assistance. Failed to achieve orbit.
2018	CartoSat-2F	6th satellite in the Cartosat series to be built by ISRO.
	MicroSat-TD	It is a technology demonstrator and the forerunner for future satellites in this series.
	INS-1C	Third satellite in the Indian Nanosatellite series. It will carry MMX-TD Payload from SAC.
	GSAT-6A	A high-power S-band communication satellite. It will also provide a platform for developing technologies.
	IRNSS-II	Eighth satellite of IRNSS.
	GSAT-29	High-throughput Communication Satellite
	HySIS	Hyperspectral imaging services for agriculture, forestry, resource mapping, geographical assessment, and military applications.
	ExseedSat-1	India’s first privately funded and built satellite.
	GSAT-11	Heaviest Indian spacecraft in orbit to date.
	GSAT-7A	Services for IAF and Indian Army.
2019	Microsat-R	Suspected to have been destroyed in the 2019 Indian anti-satellite missile test.
	PS4 Stage attached with KalamSAT-V2	Used PSLV’s 4th stage as an orbital platform.
	GSAT-31	Replacement of the aging INSAT-4CR.
	EMISAT	Electromagnetic intelligence to track any enemy radars for IAF.
	PS4 Stage attached with ExseedSat-2, AMSAT, ARIS and AIS payloads	Utilization of the fourth stage directly as a satellite for experiments.
	RISAT-2B	Successor to old RISAT-2.
	Orbiter of Chandrayaan-2	India’s second lunar exploration mission.
	Cartosat-3	One of the optical satellites with the highest resolutions in the world.
	RISAT-2BR1	Improved resolution of 0.35 meters.
2020	GSAT-30	Replacement of INSAT-4A.
	EOS-01	Space-based synthetic aperture imaging radar.
	CMS-01	Extended C-band coverage for mainland India, Lakshadweep, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
2021	Sindhu Netra	Earth observation satellite used by Indian Navy for surveillance over the Indian Ocean.
	SDSat	This Nanosatellite was developed by Space Kidz India to study radiation. It carried 25,000 names and a copy of the Bhagavad Gita into space.
	JITSat	Developed by JIT as part of the UNITYSat constellation.
	GHRCESat	Developed by GHRCE as part of the UNITYSat constellation.
	Sri Shakthi Sat	Developed by SIET as part of the UNITYSat constellation.
	EOS-03	India’s first real-time Earth observation satellite and the first satellite of the GISAT constellation.
2022	RISAT-1A	Radar imaging satellite to facilitate high-quality images and additional security to Indian borders.
	OCEANSAT-3	Earth observation satellite for oceanographic and atmospheric studies.
	GSAT-20	Communication satellite to add data transmission capacity required by Smart Cities Mission of India.
	GISAT-2	Multispectral and hyperspectral Earth-imaging satellite.
	Aditya-L1	Solar coronal observation spacecraft.
	GSAT-32	Communications satellite.
	TDS-01	A technology demonstrator for TWTA and atomic clock.
	SPADEX x 2	Demonstration of rendezvous space docking and berthing of spacecraft.
	GSAT-7R	Military communications satellite.
	DRSS-1	Communications satellite comprising two satellites in the initial stage– CMS-04 and IDRSS-2 in GEO.
	DRSS-2
	X-ray Polarimeter Satellite	Space observatory to study polarization of cosmic X-rays.
	INSAT 3DS	Military communications satellite.
2022-23	GSAT-7C	Military communications satellite.
2022-23	AstroSat-2	It is a space telescope and successor of AstroSat-1.
2023	NISAR	A joint mission between ISRO and NASA is a dual-frequency synthetic aperture on an Earth observation satellite.
2024	Lunar Polar Exploration Mission	Joint lunar exploration mission between ISRO and JAXA.
2024-25	Mangalyaan-2	India’s second Mars exploration mission.
2025	DISHA	Twin aeronomy satellite mission.
2024-26	Shukrayaan-1	Venus exploration satellite.

Total Number of Satellites Launched by India Till Now

India has successfully launched a total of 424 satellites for 34 different countries as of 22 April 2023. These foreign satellites have been deployed into space through India’s reliable and efficient launch vehicles. These satellite missions have fostered international collaborations and strengthened India’s reputation as a reliable partner in space exploration and satellite deployment. The successful launch of foreign satellites by India reflects the country’s technological advancements and its growing significance in the field of space research and exploration.

Here are advantages of launching foreign satellites:

Revenue Generation: Launching foreign satellites generates revenue for the host country, contributing to economic growth and funding for future space missions.
Global Partnerships: Collaborating with foreign countries builds international partnerships, fostering diplomatic and scientific cooperation.
Technological Advancement: Handling diverse satellite payloads enables technical expertise and innovation in space technology.
Enhanced Reputation: Successfully launching foreign satellites boosts a country’s credibility and reputation in the global space industry.
Skill Development: Working on diverse international projects improves the skills of scientists and engineers, advancing the country’s technical workforce.

India’s First Satellite Name

Aryabhata, India’s inaugural satellite, was named in honor of the renowned Indian astronomer. It holds the distinction of being the country’s first entirely indigenous spacecraft, developed and manufactured within India’s borders. On 19 April 1975, Aryabhata was successfully launched into space using a Soviet Kosmos-3M rocket from the Kapustin Yar launch site. This historic achievement showcased India’s growing capabilities in space technology and marked a significant milestone in the nation’s space exploration endeavors.

Artificial Satellite of India

India’s voyage into space began with the launch of its inaugural satellite, Aryabhatta, in 1975. Since then, the country’s space exploration has traversed a remarkable journey of 47 years, witnessing the successful deployment of over 120 satellites. This expansive timeline encompasses significant milestones, technological advancements, and notable achievements that have propelled India’s presence in the global space arena.

These missions have strengthened India’s capabilities in areas like communication, weather forecasting, navigation, and scientific research, solidifying its reputation as a rising space power.

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