List of Indian satellites

India has launched more than 50 satellites of various types

since its first attempt in 1975. Satellites have been launched
from various vehicles, including American, Russian, European
satellite-launch rockets, and the U.S. Space Shuttle. The
organisation responsible for Indian satellites is the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Satellites

Launc
Launch
Satellite h Remarks
Vehicle
Date

Provided technological experience

19Apr
Aryabhata Intercosmos in building and operating a
1975
satellite system.

First experimental remote sensing

07Jun
askara-I Intercosmos satellite. Carried TV and microwave
1979
cameras.

Intended for measuring in-flight

Satellite
Rohini performance of first experimental
10Aug Launch
Technology flight of SLV-3, the first Indian
1979 Vehicle
Payload launch vehicle. Did not achieve
(SLV)
orbit.

Used for measuring in-flight

18Jul
Rohini RS-1 SLV-3 performance of second experimental
1981
launch of SLV-3.

Used for conducting some remote

sensing technology studies using a
Rohini RS- 31May
SLV-3 landmark sensor payload.Launched by
D1 1981
the first developmental launch of
SLV-3.

Ariane 19Jun Ariane First experimental communication

Passenger satellite. Provided experience in
Payload 1981 building and operating a payload
Experiment experiment three-axis stabilised
communication satellite.

Second experimental remote sensing

satellite; similar to Bhaskara-1.
20Nov Provided experience in building and
Bhaskara-II Intercosmos
1981 operating a remote sensing
satellite system on an end-to-end
basis.

First operational multipurpose

Delta
10Apr communication and meteorology
INSAT-1A launch
1982 satellite. Procured from USA.
vehicle
Worked for only six months.

Identical to RS-D1. Launched by the

Rohini RS- 17Apr
SLV-3 second developmental launch of SLV-
D2 1983
3.

Identical to INSAT-1A. Served for

30Aug U.S. Space
INSAT-1B more than design life of seven
1983 Shuttle
years.

Earth observation satellite. First

17Mar
IRS-1A Vostok operational remote sensing
1988
satellite.

Stretched
Carried payload for launch vehicle
Rohini
1987- performance monitoring and for
Satellite ASLV
03-24 gamma ray astronomy. Did not
Series
achieve orbit.
(SROSS-1)

Stretched
Carried remote sensing payload of
Rohini
13Jul German space agency in addition to
Satellite ASLV
1988 Gamma Ray astronomy payload. Did
Series
not achieve orbit.
(SROSS-2)

INSAT-1C 21Jul Ariane Same as INSAT-1A. Served for only

 1988 one-and-a-half years.

Delta
12Jun Identical to INSAT-1A. Still in
INSAT-1D launch
1990 service.
vehicle

29Aug Earth observation satellite.

IRS-1B Vostok
1991 Improved version of IRS-1A.

Stretched
Rohini
20May Carried gamma ray astronomy and
Satellite ASLV
1992 aeronomy payload.
Series
(SROSS-C)

26Feb Launched as Arabsat 1C. Procured in

INSAT-2DT Ariane
1992 orbit from Arabsat in 1998.

First satellite in the second-

generation Indian-built INSAT-2
1992-
INSAT-2A Ariane series. Has enhanced capability
07-10
over INSAT-1 series. Still in
service.

Second satellite in INSAT-2 series.

23Jul
INSAT-2B Ariane Identical to INSAT-2A. Still in
1993
service.

20Sep Earth observation satellite. Did

IRS-1E PSLV-D1
1993 not achieve orbit.

Stretched
Rohini
04May Identical to SROSS-C. Still in
Satellite ASLV
1994 service.
Series
(SROSS-C2)

Earth observation satellite.

15Oct
IRS-P2 PSLV-D2 Launched by second developmental
1994
flight of PSLV.

07Dec Has additional capabilities such as

INSAT-2C Ariane mobile satellite service, business
1995
communication and television
 outreach beyond Indian boundaries.
Still in service.

29Dec Earth observation satellite.

IRS-1C Molniya
1995 Launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Earth observation satellite.

Carries remote sensing payload and
21Mar
IRS-P3 PSLV-D3 an X-ray astronomy payload.
1996
Launched by third developmental
flight of PSLV.

Same as INSAT-2C. Inoperable since

04Jun
INSAT-2D Ariane 1997-10-04 due to power bus
1997
anomaly.

29Sep Earth observation satellite. Same

IRS-1D PSLV-C1
1997 as IRS-1C.

03Apr Multipurpose communication and

INSAT-2E Ariane
1999 meteorological satellite.

Earth observation satellite.

IRS-P4 26May Carries an Ocean Colour Monitor
PSLV-C2
OCEANSAT 1999 (OCM) and a Multifrequency Scanning
Microwave Radiometer (MSMR).

Multipurpose communication:
22Mar business communication,
INSAT-3B Ariane
2000 developmental communication, and
mobile communication.

Experimental satellite for the

18Apr first developmental flight of
GSAT-1 GSLV-D1
2001 Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle, GSLV-D1.

Experimental satellite to test

Technology
technologies such as attitude and
Experiment 2001-
PSLV-C3 orbit control system, high-torque
Satellite 10-22
reaction wheels, new reaction
(TES)
control system, etc.

INSAT-3C 24Jan Ariane Designed to augment the existing

 INSAT capacity for communication
and broadcasting and provide
2002
continuity of the services of
INSAT-2C.

First meteorological satellite

built by ISRO. Originally named
12Sep
Kalpana-1 PSLV METSAT. Renamed after Kalpana
2002
Chawla who perished in the Space
Shuttle Columbia.

Multipurpose satellite for

10Apr communication, broadcasting, and
INSAT-3A Ariane-5
2003 meteorological services along with
INSAT-2E and Kalpana-1.

Experimental satellite for the

08May second developmental test flight of
GSAT-2 GSLV
2003 Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle (GSLV)

28Sep Communication satellite to augment

INSAT-3E Ariane-5
2003 the existing INSAT System.

Earth observation/remote sensing

RESOURCESAT 17Oct
PSLV-C5 satellite. Intended to supplement
-1 (IRS-P6) 2003
and replace IRS-1C and IRS-1D.

Also designated GSAT-3. India’s

20Oct
EDUSAT GSLV first exclusive educational
2004
satellite.

Microsatellite (42.5 kilograms) for

providing satellite-based amateur
05May
HAMSAT PSLV radio services to the national as
2005
well as the international
community.

Earth observation satellite.

05May
CARTOSAT-1 PSLV-C6 Provides stereographic in-orbit
2005
images with a 2.5-meter resolution.

INSAT-4A 22Dec Ariane Advanced satellite for direct-to-

2005 home television broadcasting
 services.

10Jul Geosynchronous communications

INSAT-4C GSLV
2006 satellite. Did not achieve orbit.

Advanced remote sensing satellite

10Jan carrying a panchromatic camera
CARTOSAT-2 PSLV-C7
2007 capable of providing scene-specific
spot images.

Experimental satellite intended to

demonstrate the technology of an
Space orbiting platform for performing
Capsule experiments in microgravity
10Jan
Recovery PSLV-C7 conditions. Launched as a co-
2007
Experiment passenger with CARTOSAT-2. SRE-1
(SRE-1) was de-orbited and recovered
successfully after 12 days over Bay
of Bengal.

Identical to INSAT-4A. Further

12Mar augments the INSAT capacity for
INSAT-4B Ariane
2007 direct-to-home (DTH) television
services and other communications.

Identical to INSAT-4C. Provides

direct-to-home (DTH) television
02Sep
INSAT-4CR GSLV-F04 services, video picture
2007
transmission (VPT), and digital
satellite news gathering (DSNG).

28Apr Earth observation/remote sensing

CARTOSAT-2A PSLV-C9
2008 satellite. Identical to CARTOSAT-2.

IMS-1
(Third Low-cost microsatellite imaging
28Apr
World PSLV-C9 mission. Launched as co-passenger
2008
Satellite – with CARTOSAT-2A.
TWsat)

Chandrayaan 22Oct PSLV-C11 Unmanned lunar probe. Carries 11

-1 2008 scientific instruments built in
India, USA, UK, Germany, Sweden and
 Bulgaria.

Radar imaging satellite used to

monitor India's borders and as part
20Apr
RISAT-2 PSLV-C12 of anti-infiltration and anti-
2009
terrorist operations. Launched as a
co-passenger with ANUSAT.

Research microsatellite designed at

20Apr Anna University. Carries an amateur
ANUSAT PSLV-C12
2009 radio and technology demonstration
experiments.

Gathers data for oceanographic,

Oceansat-2 23Sep coastal and atmospheric
PSLV-C14
(IRS-P4) 2009 applications. Continues mission of
Oceansat-1.

Communications satellite technology

15Apr
GSAT-4 GSLV-D3 demonstrator. Failed to reach orbit
2010
due to GSLV-D3 failure.

Planned satellites

Launch
Satellite Remarks
Date
ASTROSAT 2010 India’s first astronomy satellite.
June
Cartosat-2B Advance remote sensing satellite.
2010
GSAT-5 / INSAT-4D 2010 Communications satellite.
GSAT-6 / INSAT-4E 2010 Communications satellite.
GSAT-7 / INSAT-4F 2010 Communications satellite.
Communications satellite. Will also
GSAT-8 / INSAT-4G 2010 carry the second GPS Aided Geo
Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) payload.
INSAT-3D 2010 Meteorological satellite.
Cooperative effort between ISRO and
2nd
French Centre National d'Études
Megha-Tropiques Half,
Spatiales (CNES). Intended for study
2010
of the atmosphere.
RESOURCESAT-2 2010 Follow-on mission to RESOURCESAT-1 to
 provide continuity of data.
Radar imaging satellite. Microwave
RISAT-1 2010 remote sensing satellite carrying a
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).
late Joint mission between ISRO and French
SARAL (Satellite
2010- Centre National d'Études Spatiales
for ARGOS and
early (CNES). Designed to collect
ALTIKA)
2011 environmental data.

References
• Indian Space Research Organization: All Satellites