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ISRO & the Space Programme
इसरो
The space agency that reached Mars on its first attempt
Era
1969 – present
Pioneered by
Founded by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai
Origin
Bengaluru, Karnataka
Domain
Modern Creations
“We must be second to none in the application of advanced technologies to the real problems of man and society.”
— Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, ISRO's founder
The Story
ISRO was founded in 1969 by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, who believed space technology could solve Bhārat's earthly problems — communication, weather, education, and agriculture. From a humble start with bicycles carrying rocket parts in Kerala, ISRO has grown into one of the world's premier space agencies.
Its record is dazzling: in 2008, Chandrayaan-1 discovered water molecules on the Moon; in 2013, Mangalyaan reached Mars on its very first attempt — a feat no other nation has matched; in 2017, a single PSLV rocket placed 104 satellites in orbit; and in 2023, Chandrayaan-3 made Bhārat the first nation to land near the Moon's south pole.
ISRO does all this on a budget that is a fraction of NASA's — the Mars mission cost less than the film Gravity. Its technology serves people of Bhārat daily: satellites for farmers, fishermen, weather forecasters, and students; and its rockets, built in Bhārat, launch satellites for nations around the world.
Core Ideas
Mars on First Try
Mangalyaan reached Mars on its maiden attempt — a world first.
South Pole Landing
Chandrayaan-3, the first spacecraft to land near the Moon's south pole.
Water on the Moon
Chandrayaan-1's discovery that changed lunar science.
104 Satellites at Once
A world record from a single rocket of Bhārat.
Space for the People
Satellites for farmers, fishers, and schools — not just spectacles.
Why it matters today
ISRO has made Bhārat the space pioneer of the developing world — proof that ambition, not budget, conquers the sky. From the cycling priests of Thumba to the moon's south pole, it is the modern creation every person of Bhārat is proudest of.