The Indian space has come a long way from a humble beginning of testing rounding rockets to acquiring the capability to launch giant polar satellite launch vehicles tend putting up to 1600 kg satellites in the low orbits. The most significant milestone of the Indian space programme during the year 2009 was the successful launching of PSLV-C14 and Oceansat- 2 from Sriharikota in August and the Chandrayaan -1, the first India mission to moon. But we have achieved some milestone in India space programme in a successive period, which can be summarized as year wise.

1962: Indian National Committee for space Research formed and works on equatorial rocket launching station at Thumba begun.

1963: First sounding rocket launched from Thumba.

1965: Space Science and Technology Centre established at Thumba.

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1967: Satellite Communication Earth Station set up at Ahmadabad.

1969: Indian Space Research Organization formed.

1975: First Indian Satellite, Aryabhatta, placed in the orbit on April 19, by cosmos rocket from Russia.

1977: Satellite Telecom Experiments Projects (STEP) undertaken

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1980’s: This decades saw the success of operational satellite programmes like INSAT, IRS.

Today, INSAT and IRS are the major programme of ISRO. For launching its spacecraft indigenously, India is having a robust launch vehicle programme, which has matured to such an extent that, it is offering launch services to the outside world. Antrix, the commercial arm of the Department of Space is marketing India’s space services globally. But the most significant milestone of the Indian Space Programme during 2005-06 was the successful launch of PSLV-C6 and INSAT – 4A. The INSAT 4A is capable of providing Direct- to-home television services. The 2008-09 witnessed the launching of oceanSat-2, Cartosat-2 and RISAT. The cortosat-2 launched in April 28, 2008, by PSLV- C9 and RISAT weighs about 1750 kg has been launched on board PSLV-C12 on April 20, 2009 and Oceansat-2 in August, 2009.

Now India is also expanding its on going space cooperation with Russia to jointly develop a “Cheaper” reusable spacecraft.