Editing ISRO (section)

=== 1970's and 1980's ===
Under the government of [[Indira Gandhi]], INCOSPAR was superseded by ISRO. Later in 1972, a space commission and Department of Space (DoS) were set up to oversee space technology development in India specifically. ISRO was brought under DoS, institutionalising space research in India and forging the Indian space programme into its existing form.{{sfn|Bhargava|Chakrabarti|2003|pp=39}}<ref name="DOSHQ" /> India joined the Soviet Interkosmos programme for space cooperation<ref name="Sheehan">{{cite book |last=Sheehan |first=Michael |title=The international politics of space |year=2007 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-39917-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V-Z0kfqPHy8C |location=London |pages=59–61 |access-date=14 March 2021 |archive-date=13 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413211452/https://books.google.com/books?id=V-Z0kfqPHy8C |url-status=live}}</ref> and got its first satellite Aryabhata in orbit through a Soviet rocket.<ref name="Aryabhatta" />

Efforts to develop an orbital launch vehicle began after mastering sounding rocket technology. The concept was to develop a launcher capable of providing sufficient velocity for a mass of {{cvt|35|kg}} to enter [[low Earth orbit]]. It took 7 years for ISRO to develop [[Satellite Launch Vehicle]] capable of putting {{cvt|40|kg}} into a {{convert|400|km|mi|adj=on}} orbit. An SLV Launch Pad, [[ground station]]s, tracking networks, radars and other communications were set up for a launch campaign. The SLV's first launch in 1979 carried a [[Rohini (satellite)|Rohini technology payload]] but could not inject the satellite into its desired orbit. It was followed by a successful launch in 1980 carrying a Rohini Series-I satellite, making India the seventh country to reach Earth's orbit after the USSR, the US, France, the [[Prospero (spacecraft)|UK]], China and Japan. RS-1 was the third Indian satellite to reach orbit as [[Bhaskara (satellites)|Bhaskara]] had been launched from the USSR in 1979. Efforts to develop a [[medium-lift launch vehicle]] capable of putting {{convert|600|kg|lb|adj=on}} class spacecrafts into {{convert|1000|km|mi|adj=on}} [[Sun-synchronous orbit]] had already begun in 1978.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IbbMj56ht8sC&pg=PA215 |title=Indian ambitions in space go sky-high |date=22 January 1981 |publisher=New Scientist |page=215 |access-date=14 March 2021 |archive-date=13 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413211511/https://books.google.com/books?id=IbbMj56ht8sC&pg=PA215 |url-status=live}}</ref> They would later lead to the development of the [[Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle|Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)]].<ref name="SLVFlipbook">{{cite web |url=https://www.isro.gov.in/sites/default/files/flipping_book/58-SI-Jul-Sep-05/files/assets/common/downloads/publication.pdf |title=First Successful Launch of SLV-3 – Silver Jubilee |publisher=ISRO |page=17 |date=July–September 2005 |access-date=15 March 2021 |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112000426/https://www.isro.gov.in/sites/default/files/flipping_book/58-SI-Jul-Sep-05/files/assets/common/downloads/publication.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[SLV-3]] later had two more launches before discontinuation in 1983.<ref name=slv>{{cite web |url=http://www.isro.gov.in/launchers/slv |title=SLV |publisher=isro.gov.in |access-date=15 March 2021 |archive-date=29 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170529133357/http://www.isro.gov.in/launchers/slv |url-status=live}}</ref> ISRO's [[Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre]] (LPSC) was set up in 1985 and started working on a more powerful engine, [[Vikas (rocket engine)|Vikas]], based upon the French [[Viking (rocket engine)|Viking]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sutton |first1=George Paul |title=History of Liquid Propellant Rocket Engines |date=2006 |publisher=AIAA |isbn=978-1-56347-649-5 |page=799 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s1C9Oo2I4VYC&pg=PA799 |language=en |access-date=14 March 2021 |archive-date=13 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413211426/https://books.google.com/books?id=s1C9Oo2I4VYC&pg=PA799 |url-status=live}}</ref> Two years later, facilities to test liquid-fuelled rocket engines were established and development and testing of various rocket engines [[Thrusters (spacecraft)|thrusters]] began.<ref name="lpsctimeline">{{Cite web |title=Timeline of LPSC |url=https://www.lpsc.gov.in/timeline.html |work=Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre |access-date=15 March 2021 |archive-date=9 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309084932/https://www.lpsc.gov.in/timeline.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

At the same time, another solid-fuelled rocket, the [[Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle|Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV)]], whose design was based upon SLV-3 was being developed, with technologies to launch satellites into [[geostationary orbit]] (GTO). The ASLV had limited success and multiple launch failures; it was soon discontinued.<ref name=ITASLV>{{cite news |last=Menon |first=Amarnath |title=Setback in the sky |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/failure-of-aslv-mission-comes-a-major-blow-to-india-ambitious-space-programme/1/336942.html |access-date=18 January 2014 |newspaper=India Today |date=15 April 1987 |archive-date=20 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140120143457/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/failure-of-aslv-mission-comes-a-major-blow-to-india-ambitious-space-programme/1/336942.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Alongside these developments, communication satellite technologies for the [[Indian National Satellite System]]<ref name="isro-comsats">{{Cite web |title=Communication Satellites |url=https://www.isro.gov.in/spacecraft/communication-satellites |work=Indian Space Research Organisation |access-date=16 March 2021 |archive-date=26 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226184331/https://www.isro.gov.in/spacecraft/communication-satellites |url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[Indian Remote Sensing Programme]] for earth observation satellites<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Navalgund |first1=R. R. |last2=Kasturirangan |first2=K. |date=1 December 1983 |title=The Indian remote sensing satellite: a programme overview |journal=Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences Section C: Engineering Sciences |language=en |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=313–336 |doi=10.1007/BF02881137 |issn=0973-7677 |bibcode=1983InES....6..313N |s2cid=140649818}}</ref> were developed and launches from overseas were initiated. The number of satellites eventually grew and the systems were established as among the largest satellite constellations in the world, with multi-band communication, radar imaging, optical imaging and meteorological satellites.<ref name="IRSSaga">{{Cite web |url=https://www.isro.gov.in/saga-of-indian-remote-sensing-satellite-system |title=The Saga of Indian Remote Sensing Satellite System – ISRO |website=www.isro.gov.in |access-date=16 March 2021 |archive-date=27 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190627192046/https://www.isro.gov.in/saga-of-indian-remote-sensing-satellite-system |url-status=live}}</ref>