ISRO, satellites, missions, missiles and defence platforms on one page. Statuses are **as of early October 2026**. For explanations, go back to the [chapter](/science-technology/space-defence/).

{{< callout type="tip" title="How to use this sheet" >}}
Scan it top to bottom in the week before Prelims. **Bold** entries are the facts examiners return to most often. Re-check every "planned" or "targeted" line against the latest news before the exam.
{{< /callout >}}

## Space Programme Timeline

| Year | Event |
|------|-------|
| 1962 | INCOSPAR (Vikram Sarabhai), under DAE |
| 1963 | First sounding rocket (Nike-Apache), **Thumba**, 21 Nov |
| **1969** | **ISRO formed, 15 Aug** |
| 1972 | Space Commission and Department of Space |
| **1975** | **Aryabhata** — first satellite (Soviet launch), 19 Apr |
| **1980** | **SLV-3 / Rohini** — first Indian launch to orbit, 18 Jul (Kalam) |
| 1982–83 | INSAT system begins |
| 1984 | Rakesh Sharma in space (Soyuz T-11), 3 Apr |
| 1988 | IRS-1A, first remote-sensing satellite |
| 1994 | First successful PSLV |
| 2008 | Chandrayaan-1 |
| **2014** | **GSLV-D5: indigenous cryogenic stage (Jan); Mangalyaan in Mars orbit (24 Sep)** |
| 2017 | PSLV-C37: 104 satellites (15 Feb) |
| 2019 / 2020 | NSIL / IN-SPACe |
| **2023** | **Chandrayaan-3 lands 23 Aug**; Aditya-L1 launched 2 Sep; Space Policy (Apr) |
| 2024 | XPoSat (1 Jan); Aditya-L1 at L1 (6 Jan); FDI reform (Feb); SpaDeX launched (30 Dec) |
| **2025** | **SpaDeX docks 16 Jan**; NVS-02 orbit failure; PSLV-C61 fails (May); **Shukla on ISS (Ax-4, Jun–Jul)**; **NISAR launched 30 Jul**; LVM3-M6 heaviest payload (24 Dec) |
| **2026** | PSLV-C62 fails (12 Jan); **Skyroot Vikram-1 — first private orbital launch (18 Jul)**; GSLV-F17/EOS-05 (4 Sep); NVS-03 targeted Oct; Gaganyaan G1 targeted by end-2026 |

## Launch Vehicles

| Vehicle | Key fact |
|---------|----------|
| **PSLV** | Solid–liquid–solid–liquid; polar orbits; Chandrayaan-1, MOM, Aditya-L1, XPoSat, SpaDeX |
| **GSLV** | Indigenous cryogenic upper stage; NavIC NVS; NISAR (first GSLV to SSO) |
| **LVM3** | Heaviest; CE-20 cryogenic engine; Chandrayaan-2/3; commercial (OneWeb, BlueBird); human-rated for Gaganyaan |
| SSLV | Small satellites, ~500 kg to LEO |
| NGLV | Partly reusable, approved Sep 2024 |
| Spaceports | Sriharikota (third pad approved Jan 2025); Kulasekarapattinam (TN, for SSLV) |

## Satellites

| Satellite / system | Key fact |
|--------------------|----------|
| INSAT / GSAT | Communication (+ weather on INSAT); GEO |
| INSAT-3D / 3DR / **3DS** | Meteorology; 3DS Feb 2024 |
| Cartosat / Resourcesat / Oceansat | Mapping / resources / oceans (polar orbit) |
| RISAT, EOS-04 | Radar — through clouds, day and night |
| **NISAR** | **NASA (L-band) + ISRO (S-band)**; 12 m antenna; 12-day global coverage |
| **NavIC** | **7 satellites (3 GEO + 4 GSO); India + ~1,500 km**; NVS series adds L1 and indigenous clocks |
| **GAGAN** | **ISRO + AAI**; augments GPS for aviation (not independent) |
| GSAT-7 / 7A | Navy ("Rukmini") / Air Force |
| Bhuvan | ISRO geoportal (NRSC, Hyderabad) |

## Exploration and Human Spaceflight

| Mission | Key fact |
|---------|----------|
| Chandrayaan-1 | 2008; water/hydroxyl evidence; impact probe |
| Chandrayaan-2 | 2019; lander crashed; orbiter working |
| **Chandrayaan-3** | **Landed 23 Aug 2023, ~69° S; 4th country to soft-land, 1st near south pole; Shiv Shakti Point; sulphur confirmed** |
| Chandrayaan-4 | Sample return; approved Sep 2024; target 2027 |
| Chandrayaan-5 / LUPEX | With JAXA; arrangement signed 29 Aug 2025 |
| **Mangalyaan** | **First Asian nation to Mars orbit; first-attempt success (2014)** |
| AstroSat | 2015; first multi-wavelength observatory |
| **Aditya-L1** | **Sun; halo orbit at L1 (~1.5 million km from Earth); VELC** |
| XPoSat | X-ray polarimetry (2024) |
| **SpaDeX** | **Docking 16 Jan 2025 — 4th country** |
| Venus Orbiter | Approved Sep 2024; ~2028 |
| **Gaganyaan** | **3 crew, ~400 km, 3 days; HLVM3; Vyommitra robot; G1 uncrewed not yet flown (as of Oct 2026)** |
| Astronaut-designates | Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap, Shubhanshu Shukla |
| **Ax-4** | **Shukla — first Indian on the ISS (25 Jun–15 Jul 2025)** |
| BAS | BAS-1 module 2028; full station 2035; Indian on Moon 2040 (vision) |

## Missiles and Strategic Systems

| Item | Key fact |
|------|----------|
| **IGMDP** | **1983, Kalam: Prithvi, Agni, Trishul, Nag, Akash (PATNA)** |
| Agni-V | 5,000 km+; first test 2012 |
| **Mission Divyastra** | **Agni-V MIRV, 11 Mar 2024**; another advanced Agni MIRV test 8 May 2026 |
| Agni-Prime | Canisterised; rail-launcher test Sep 2025 |
| **BrahMos** | **India–Russia supersonic cruise; Brahmaputra + Moskva; Philippines first export** |
| Nirbhay / Pralay / Astra / Rudram | Subsonic cruise / quasi-ballistic SRBM / BVR air-to-air / anti-radiation |
| LRHM | Hypersonic, 16 Nov 2024, >1,500 km |
| **Mission Shakti** | **ASAT, 27 Mar 2019, Microsat-R in LEO; 4th country** |
| BMD | PAD (exo-atmospheric) + AAD (endo-atmospheric) |
| S-400 | Russian; IAF name "Sudarshan Chakra" |
| Mission Sudarshan Chakra | Announced 15 Aug 2025; national shield by 2035 |
| Pokhran | I: 18 May 1974; **II: 11 and 13 May 1998 (National Technology Day 11 May)** |
| **Doctrine (2003)** | **Credible minimum deterrence; No First Use; NCA — Political Council (PM), Executive Council (NSA)** |
| SSBNs | Arihant (2016; triad operational Nov 2018), Arighaat (Aug 2024), Aridhaman (3 Apr 2026) |
| Regimes | MTCR 2016, Wassenaar 2017, Australia Group 2018; not NSG; NPT/CTBT not signed |

## Defence Technology

| Item | Key fact |
|------|----------|
| DRDO | 1958 |
| CDS | From 1 Jan 2020 (Gen Bipin Rawat first) |
| OFB | Corporatised into 7 DPSUs, 1 Oct 2021 |
| Tejas | ADA design, HAL build; US GE engine |
| **INS Vikrant** | **First indigenous carrier; Cochin Shipyard; 2 Sep 2022** |
| Kalvari class | 6 Scorpene submarines; last, Vaghsheer, 15 Jan 2025 |
| iDEX / Corridors | 2018 / UP (6 nodes) and Tamil Nadu (5 nodes) |
| DAP 2020 | "Buy (Indian-IDDM)" first |
| FDI | 74% automatic (2020) |
| **Exports** | **₹38,424 crore, FY 2025-26 (record)**; target ₹50,000 crore by 2029 |
| Operation Sindoor | 7 May 2025; cessation 10 May 2025 |
| **CG angle** | **Bhilai Steel Plant — DMR-grade warship steel for INS Vikrant**; CCOST satellite rice estimates |

## Don't Confuse

| This | vs | That |
|------|----|------|
| Aryabhata (1975, Soviet launch) | vs | Rohini (1980, SLV-3) |
| NSIL (commercial company) | vs | IN-SPACe (authoriser/regulator) |
| NavIC (independent, regional) | vs | GAGAN (GPS augmentation) |
| Shiv Shakti Point (C-3 landing) | vs | Tiranga Point (C-2 crash) |
| Rakesh Sharma (1984, Soyuz) | vs | Shubhanshu Shukla (2025, Ax-4 to ISS) |
| Mission Shakti (2019, ASAT) | vs | Operation Shakti (1998, Pokhran-II) |
| Ballistic (Agni) | vs | Cruise (BrahMos) |
| Kalvari (diesel-electric) | vs | Arihant (nuclear SSBN) |
| INS Vikrant (indigenous, 2022) | vs | INS Vikramaditya (ex-Russian, 2013) |

{{< callout type="warning" title="Favourite MCQ traps" >}}
- PSLV has **no** cryogenic stage.
- NavIC is **regional**, not global; GAGAN does not replace GPS.
- Chandrayaan-3 had **no orbiter** of its own and returned **no samples**.
- Gaganyaan's crewed flight had **not** happened as of 2026 — Shukla flew on **Axiom-4**.
- Trishul was surface-to-air; **Nag** is anti-tank.
- India is **not** in the NSG.
{{< /callout >}}

---
Source: https://cgpscnotes.in/science-technology/space-defence/quick-revision/

Science & Technology Space and Defence Technology

Space and Defence Technology — Quick Revision

One-page CGPSC quick revision for Space and Defence Technology: launch vehicles, satellites, missions, missiles and defence platforms with dates (as of 2026).

5 min read Updated Oct 2026 #quick revision#cgpsc#space

ISRO, satellites, missions, missiles and defence platforms on one page. Statuses are as of early October 2026. For explanations, go back to the chapter.

How to use this sheet

Scan it top to bottom in the week before Prelims. Bold entries are the facts examiners return to most often. Re-check every “planned” or “targeted” line against the latest news before the exam.

Space Programme Timeline

Year	Event
1962	INCOSPAR (Vikram Sarabhai), under DAE
1963	First sounding rocket (Nike-Apache), Thumba, 21 Nov
1969	ISRO formed, 15 Aug
1972	Space Commission and Department of Space
1975	Aryabhata — first satellite (Soviet launch), 19 Apr
1980	SLV-3 / Rohini — first Indian launch to orbit, 18 Jul (Kalam)
1982–83	INSAT system begins
1984	Rakesh Sharma in space (Soyuz T-11), 3 Apr
1988	IRS-1A, first remote-sensing satellite
1994	First successful PSLV
2008	Chandrayaan-1
2014	GSLV-D5: indigenous cryogenic stage (Jan); Mangalyaan in Mars orbit (24 Sep)
2017	PSLV-C37: 104 satellites (15 Feb)
2019 / 2020	NSIL / IN-SPACe
2023	Chandrayaan-3 lands 23 Aug; Aditya-L1 launched 2 Sep; Space Policy (Apr)
2024	XPoSat (1 Jan); Aditya-L1 at L1 (6 Jan); FDI reform (Feb); SpaDeX launched (30 Dec)
2025	SpaDeX docks 16 Jan; NVS-02 orbit failure; PSLV-C61 fails (May); Shukla on ISS (Ax-4, Jun–Jul); NISAR launched 30 Jul; LVM3-M6 heaviest payload (24 Dec)
2026	PSLV-C62 fails (12 Jan); Skyroot Vikram-1 — first private orbital launch (18 Jul); GSLV-F17/EOS-05 (4 Sep); NVS-03 targeted Oct; Gaganyaan G1 targeted by end-2026

Launch Vehicles

Vehicle	Key fact
PSLV	Solid–liquid–solid–liquid; polar orbits; Chandrayaan-1, MOM, Aditya-L1, XPoSat, SpaDeX
GSLV	Indigenous cryogenic upper stage; NavIC NVS; NISAR (first GSLV to SSO)
LVM3	Heaviest; CE-20 cryogenic engine; Chandrayaan-2/3; commercial (OneWeb, BlueBird); human-rated for Gaganyaan
SSLV	Small satellites, ~500 kg to LEO
NGLV	Partly reusable, approved Sep 2024
Spaceports	Sriharikota (third pad approved Jan 2025); Kulasekarapattinam (TN, for SSLV)

Satellites

Satellite / system	Key fact
INSAT / GSAT	Communication (+ weather on INSAT); GEO
INSAT-3D / 3DR / 3DS	Meteorology; 3DS Feb 2024
Cartosat / Resourcesat / Oceansat	Mapping / resources / oceans (polar orbit)
RISAT, EOS-04	Radar — through clouds, day and night
NISAR	NASA (L-band) + ISRO (S-band); 12 m antenna; 12-day global coverage
NavIC	7 satellites (3 GEO + 4 GSO); India + ~1,500 km; NVS series adds L1 and indigenous clocks
GAGAN	ISRO + AAI; augments GPS for aviation (not independent)
GSAT-7 / 7A	Navy (“Rukmini”) / Air Force
Bhuvan	ISRO geoportal (NRSC, Hyderabad)

Exploration and Human Spaceflight

Mission	Key fact
Chandrayaan-1	2008; water/hydroxyl evidence; impact probe
Chandrayaan-2	2019; lander crashed; orbiter working
Chandrayaan-3	Landed 23 Aug 2023, ~69° S; 4th country to soft-land, 1st near south pole; Shiv Shakti Point; sulphur confirmed
Chandrayaan-4	Sample return; approved Sep 2024; target 2027
Chandrayaan-5 / LUPEX	With JAXA; arrangement signed 29 Aug 2025
Mangalyaan	First Asian nation to Mars orbit; first-attempt success (2014)
AstroSat	2015; first multi-wavelength observatory
Aditya-L1	Sun; halo orbit at L1 (~1.5 million km from Earth); VELC
XPoSat	X-ray polarimetry (2024)
SpaDeX	Docking 16 Jan 2025 — 4th country
Venus Orbiter	Approved Sep 2024; ~2028
Gaganyaan	3 crew, ~400 km, 3 days; HLVM3; Vyommitra robot; G1 uncrewed not yet flown (as of Oct 2026)
Astronaut-designates	Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap, Shubhanshu Shukla
Ax-4	Shukla — first Indian on the ISS (25 Jun–15 Jul 2025)
BAS	BAS-1 module 2028; full station 2035; Indian on Moon 2040 (vision)

Missiles and Strategic Systems

Item	Key fact
IGMDP	1983, Kalam: Prithvi, Agni, Trishul, Nag, Akash (PATNA)
Agni-V	5,000 km+; first test 2012
Mission Divyastra	Agni-V MIRV, 11 Mar 2024; another advanced Agni MIRV test 8 May 2026
Agni-Prime	Canisterised; rail-launcher test Sep 2025
BrahMos	India–Russia supersonic cruise; Brahmaputra + Moskva; Philippines first export
Nirbhay / Pralay / Astra / Rudram	Subsonic cruise / quasi-ballistic SRBM / BVR air-to-air / anti-radiation
LRHM	Hypersonic, 16 Nov 2024, >1,500 km
Mission Shakti	ASAT, 27 Mar 2019, Microsat-R in LEO; 4th country
BMD	PAD (exo-atmospheric) + AAD (endo-atmospheric)
S-400	Russian; IAF name “Sudarshan Chakra”
Mission Sudarshan Chakra	Announced 15 Aug 2025; national shield by 2035
Pokhran	I: 18 May 1974; II: 11 and 13 May 1998 (National Technology Day 11 May)
Doctrine (2003)	Credible minimum deterrence; No First Use; NCA — Political Council (PM), Executive Council (NSA)
SSBNs	Arihant (2016; triad operational Nov 2018), Arighaat (Aug 2024), Aridhaman (3 Apr 2026)
Regimes	MTCR 2016, Wassenaar 2017, Australia Group 2018; not NSG; NPT/CTBT not signed

Defence Technology

Item	Key fact
DRDO	1958
CDS	From 1 Jan 2020 (Gen Bipin Rawat first)
OFB	Corporatised into 7 DPSUs, 1 Oct 2021
Tejas	ADA design, HAL build; US GE engine
INS Vikrant	First indigenous carrier; Cochin Shipyard; 2 Sep 2022
Kalvari class	6 Scorpene submarines; last, Vaghsheer, 15 Jan 2025
iDEX / Corridors	2018 / UP (6 nodes) and Tamil Nadu (5 nodes)
DAP 2020	“Buy (Indian-IDDM)” first
FDI	74% automatic (2020)
Exports	₹38,424 crore, FY 2025-26 (record); target ₹50,000 crore by 2029
Operation Sindoor	7 May 2025; cessation 10 May 2025
CG angle	Bhilai Steel Plant — DMR-grade warship steel for INS Vikrant; CCOST satellite rice estimates

Don’t Confuse

This	vs	That
Aryabhata (1975, Soviet launch)	vs	Rohini (1980, SLV-3)
NSIL (commercial company)	vs	IN-SPACe (authoriser/regulator)
NavIC (independent, regional)	vs	GAGAN (GPS augmentation)
Shiv Shakti Point (C-3 landing)	vs	Tiranga Point (C-2 crash)
Rakesh Sharma (1984, Soyuz)	vs	Shubhanshu Shukla (2025, Ax-4 to ISS)
Mission Shakti (2019, ASAT)	vs	Operation Shakti (1998, Pokhran-II)
Ballistic (Agni)	vs	Cruise (BrahMos)
Kalvari (diesel-electric)	vs	Arihant (nuclear SSBN)
INS Vikrant (indigenous, 2022)	vs	INS Vikramaditya (ex-Russian, 2013)

Favourite MCQ traps

PSLV has no cryogenic stage.
NavIC is regional, not global; GAGAN does not replace GPS.
Chandrayaan-3 had no orbiter of its own and returned no samples.
Gaganyaan’s crewed flight had not happened as of 2026 — Shukla flew on Axiom-4.
Trishul was surface-to-air; Nag is anti-tank.
India is not in the NSG.

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