India's Achievements in Space Sector in 2023: From Historic Chandrayaan-3 Moon Landing to Aditya L1 Mission Launch and Plan for Space Station, How ISRO Made Indians Proud

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has had a stellar year of space achievements, launching successful missions like Chandrayaan 3 and Aditya L1 and making every Indian rejoice in their glory. By accomplishing two unprecedented feats in space science in 2023, ISRO proved its outstanding capabilities and overcame previous setbacks. In the annals of space exploration, 2023 will be remembered as the year the ISRO etched its name into history with groundbreaking achievements. Year Ender 2023: From Participation in AI Revolution to Chandrayaan-3 Launch, Key Achievements of India in Tech and Science This Year.

Among its many achievements in space exploration since its foundation in 1969, ISRO has done 125 spacecraft missions, 94 launch missions, 15 student satellites and 431 foreign satellites. ISRO has added eight more successful missions this year, including the “universal history maker” Chandrayaan-3. To keep up with its glorious legacy, the space organisation has made several plans to put India ahead in the "space race". In this article, we at LatestLY bring you India's achievements in the space sector in 2023 and its plan for the future.

India's Achievements in Space in 2023

SSLV-D2/EOS-07 Mission

ISRO launched its SSLV-D2 on February 10, 2023, successfully putting EOS-07 and two other satellites — Janus-1 and AzaadiSat2 — into a 450-km orbit around the Earth. SSLVs are ISRO’s design and development, and they can launch smaller satellites up to 500 kg into low Earth orbit whenever needed. SSLVs have given ISRO a competitive edge in the small satellite launch market.

Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX)

ISRO’s Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) successfully tested a winged spaceplane that can land by itself. The test was conducted on April 2, 2023, at the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga, Karnataka. The spaceplane mimicked the conditions of a real space re-entry, such as high speed, no human control, and precise landing on the same path as it would come from space. This test was part of ISRO’s goal to develop reusable space vehicles. India's Achievements in 2023: From Historic Chandrayaan 3 Moon Landing to Claiming Fastest-Growing Economy Title, List of 10 Moments That Showcase India's Prowess (Watch Video).

GSLV-F12 NVS-01 Mission

The NVS-01 satellite, launched by ISRO on May 29, successfully reached the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. It is the first of the new generation of satellites for the NavIC system, which provides navigation services within India and its surroundings. The new satellites will improve the performance and features of the NavIC system. The NVS-01 also had a special feature: an atomic clock made in India. It also had Ranging and Navigation payloads.

Chandrayaan 3

"We have achieved a soft landing, India is on the Moon." - these words by ISRO Chief S Somnath need to be scripted in golden letters. India made history on August 23, 2023, by landing the Vikram lander on the moon’s south pole, becoming the first country to do so. The lander was part of Chandrayaan 3, a follow-up mission to Chandrayaan 2, which also had a rover. The mission aimed to show that India can land and explore the lunar surface safely and scientifically.

The rover’s LIBS instrument found sulphur and other elements like aluminium, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon, and oxygen. Prime Minister Narendra Modi named the landing site ‘Shiv Shakti Point’ on August 26.

Aditya L1

ISRO’s first mission to study the Sun, Aditya-L1, was launched on September 2 from Sriharikota. The mission has seven instruments that will explore different aspects of the Sun. Four will observe the solar light, and the other three will measure the plasma and magnetic fields in real time. The mission’s name comes from the Sanskrit word for the Sun, Aditya, and the L1 point, where the spacecraft will orbit around the Sun-Earth system.

The mission aims to understand the dynamics of the Sun’s upper atmosphere (chromosphere and corona), the heating processes of the chromosphere and corona, the physics of the partially ionised plasma, and the origin of coronal mass ejections and flares.

Gaganyaan Mission

With the achievements of Chandrayaan 3 and Aditya L1 in 2023, ISRO has an exciting year planned for 2024. ISRO will embark on several space exploration missions to enhance India’s knowledge of the cosmos. ISRO successfully conducted the first Test Vehicle Flight TV-D1 from Sriharikota on October 21.

In 2024, ISRO is all set to launch Gaganyaan's maiden mission, a collaborative endeavour between ISRO and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). The crewless test flight may take place in January or February. The second uncrewed test flight may be conducted in mid-2025. If all goes well, ISRO will carry out the first crewed Gaganyaan mission by 2026. If successful, India would become the fourth country in the world (after the US, Soviet Union, and China) to send humans into space independently.

Shukrayaan 1

Shukrayaan 1 will be ISRO’s maiden voyage to Venus. Shukrayaan combines two Sanskrit words, ‘Shukra’, which means Venus, and ‘Yaana’, which refers to the carrier. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the launch of ISRO’s Shukrayaan 1, the Venus orbiter mission, from mid-2023 to December 2024. ISRO chairman S. Somanath announced this in May 2022 and mentioned a backup launch window in 2031.

Mangalyaan 2

After creating history nine years ago, India is readying to send another spacecraft to Mars. The Mangalyaan 2, or Mars Orbiter Mission-2, will send four instruments to explore Mars. The mission will study the Martian dust, atmosphere, and environment. This mission is a successor of Mangalyaan 1, one of India’s most savoured successes in space exploration.

Bharatiya Antariksha Station

Taking space exploration to a new level, India plans to construct the Bharatiya Antariksha Station or Indian Space Station by 2035. In a high-level meeting held in October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Department of Space that they should aim to build a Bharatiya Antariksha Station by 2035.

From transporting the parts of the first rocket to be assembled by bicycle to working towards building its space station, ISRO has come a long way and made every Indian proud on its breathtakingly beautiful journey. As we bid farewell to 2023 and welcome 2024 with open arms, let's look forward to another year of ISRO's success and the promise of happiness.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 28, 2023 11:34 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).