The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is the national space agency, headquartered in Bengaluru under the Department of Space. It grew out of INCOSPAR, set up in 1962, and took its name in 1969. Its first satellite flew in 1975; its own rocket, the SLV-3, reached orbit in 1980, making India the seventh country to do so. Today it flies the PSLV, GSLV and LVM3 from Sriharikota.
Key facts
- INCOSPAR 1962, renamed ISRO 1969; headquarters Bengaluru; motto 'Space technology in the service of humankind'.
- SLV-3 launched RS-1 in 1980, making India the seventh country to reach orbit on its own rocket.
- Chandrayaan-3 (2023) made a soft landing near the lunar south pole, a first for any nation; SpaDeX docking was verified in January 2025.
- An Indian astronaut flew to the International Space Station on Axiom Mission 4 in 2025; a Bharatiya Antariksh Station is targeted for 2035. (as of 23 Oct 2026)
- ISRO runs NavIC, its own satellite navigation system, and GAGAN, which sharpens GPS for aviation, plus large communication and Earth-observation fleets.
Latest
Vikram-1 became the first privately built Indian rocket to reach orbit on 18 July 2026 (developed by Skyroot Aerospace); TRISHNA, a thermal infrared Earth observation satellite planned for 2027, is a joint ISRO mission with France's CNES.
Why exams ask about it
Launch years, which country launched the first satellite, the Mars orbit year, the chairman and private players are the usual questions.