After the epoch-making success of Chandrayaan I, India is all set to launch its next iteration of the lunar probe, Chandrayaan II into space. India will also launch its first solar mission Aditya L1 sometime in 2019.
Minister of State, Dr. Jitendra Singh proudly informed the august house that Indian Space and Research Organization (ISRO) has added many feathers to its cap in the last one year. It launched successfully six Singapore satellite to mark the Golden Jubilee of the independence of the Republic of Singapore. ISRO has gone in a big way into the launching of satellites and the Singapore government paid €23 million for the launch of its six satellites.
Antrix Corporation, which is the commercial arm of ISRO, has already earned $15 million and €80 million by launching satellites of other countries. Another $5 million and €65 million will be made in the launch of satellites to be conducted in the coming months.
Chandrayaan II will land on the surface of the moon in 2017 and will be tasked with finding evidence and signs of extraterrestrial life. Whereas, the Aditya L1 mission will be the first mission to the Sun, and the satellite will be placed in the sun-earth Lagrangian point (L-1), which is about 1.5 million km from Earth.
Aditya L1, which will cost Rs. 378.53 crores and launched in between 2019 to 2020, will carrying seven payloads and includes a coronagraph to observe the outermost layers of the sun, the corona.
The past year has been very momentous for ISRO and has placed India firmly as a frontline nation in space technology. ISRO is also living up to the mission of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ‘Make in India’. The Prime Minister was personally present to witness the satellite launch on 30th of June.
The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) series of seven satellites will be complete by March 2016 and will offer navigation facility for all the neighboring countries of South Asia. The pictures sent by Mars Orbital Mission (MOM) are also being shared with even developed countries.
