78th Independence Day: A tribute to India's space triumphs

India's journey into space exploration has been marked by some remarkable achievements. From the humble beginnings of the Apple satellite to the successful launch of the SLV-3, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has worked on multiple space missions. The milestones include Chandrayaan missions that explored the Moon, with Chandrayaan-3 making a historic landing on the lunar south pole, and the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), which not only reached Mars but did so with unmatched cost-efficiency.India's space odyssey is seen as a testament to innovation, positioning the nation as a key player in global space exploration.

An apple defies gravity
A last-minute test had to be carried out on India's first indigenous communication satellite. And it needed to be done in a non-magnetic environment ahead of its 1981 launch on European Space Agency’s Ariane rocket. The best option was to lug the satellite – called Apple, or Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment – all the way to science labs in one of the big cities, which would have involved a considerable expense of time and money. The scientists figured they could just as easily do the test with the satellite placed on a bullock cart standing in an open field. Cost of the fix: 5 hours and Rs 150.
Acing the launch sequence
The Apple mission paved the way for the development of INSAT and GSAT satellites, but India also needed its own launch capabilities to be counted among space pioneers. Enter the SLVs, or satellite launch vehicles. It was with the launch of SLV-3 – our first experimental satellite launch vehicle – in July 1980 that India became the sixth member of an exclusive club of space-faring nations. From there on followed the 'Augmented', 'Polar', and 'Geosynchronous' SLVs, allowing India to not only launch its own satellites but also emerge as a major commercial transporter. Commercial launches started in 1999 and Isro has so far ferried well over 300 satellites of more than 30 countries to space.
Dark side of the Moon
Once you have the rocket, space tripping becomes possible. In 2008, Chandrayaan-1 took off from Sriharikota. India's first lunar mission met its objectives – it also was the first to confirm there was water there – and laid the ground for a moon landing with its sequel. Chandrayaan-2 came in 2019 but if it made a hard landing on the lunar surface, Isro also bounced back with Chandrayaan-3 in 2023. India became only the fourth country to get to the moon and was the first to have landed on the lunar south pole, the intriguing place that always stays hidden from Earth.
On your Mars…
In between the Chandrayaan missions, Isro also called on Mars. The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), India's first interplanetary mission, took off in 2013 and Isro became only the fourth space agency to reach the red planet's orbit. It was a real bang for the buck, too. MOM outlasted its designated mission life of six months to complete over seven years in Mars' orbit and cost only $74 million. It takes more to make Hollywood movies on space, some pointed out.