The Year-End-Review for 2022 of the Department of Space (DoS), under the Ministry of Science and Technology, has recently been released, showcasing an impressive array of key achievements and mission successes. The department has successfully realized a total of 44 spacecraft missions, 42 launch vehicle missions, and 5 technology demonstrators since 2014.
Key Missions and Accomplishments
The Chandrayaan-2 Mission, launched in 2019, continues to provide valuable scientific data to the global research community. December 2019 marked the 50th launch of PSLV, ISRO’s workhorse launch vehicle, with the successful deployment of the RISAT-2BR1 satellite, designed for round-the-clock border surveillance.
In July 2022, the ISRO System for Safe & Sustained Operations Management (IS4OM) was dedicated to the nation, designed to ensure safety and sustainability in outer space utilization for national development.
Launch Vehicle Mark 3 and OneWeb
October 2022 saw the successful completion of the Launch Vehicle Mark (LVM) 3 / OneWeb India-1 Mission, a significant step towards Atmanirbharata, enhancing India’s competitive edge in the global commercial launch service arena.
Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator and Other Advances
New technological advancements like the successful demonstration of the Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (IAD) have potential applications in the recovery of spent rocket stages, landing payloads on Mars or Venus, and creating space habitats for human space flight missions.
PSLV-C54 Launch and Bhutanese Collaboration
The PSLV-C54 made a successful launch of the EOS-06 satellite along with eight nano-satellites including the INDIA-BHUTAN SAT (INS-2B) in November 2022, supporting Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck’s plans for technological development in his country through the use of advanced technologies like ICT and space technology.
Academic Support, Capacity Building and Outreach
Through initiatives like the establishment of Space Technology Incubation Centers (STIC) and the Satish Dhawan Centre for Space Sciences, and capacity-building programs like UNNATI and the Young Scientist Programme, ISRO has been encouraging space research and imparting basic knowledge of space technologies to young talents.
SpaceTech Innovation Network and Industry Reforms
ISRO also signed an MoU with Social Alpha in December 2022 to launch the SpaceTech Innovation Network (SpIN), India’s first dedicated platform for innovation curation and venture development in the space entrepreneurial ecosystem. Also, significant strides have been made in terms of industry reforms with the establishment of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) and IN-SPACe to facilitate private sector participation in space-related activities and to commercially exploit the products and services emanating from the Indian Space Programme.
Indian Space Policy – 2022 and Disaster Management
The Indian Space Policy – 2022, currently under approval process, was extensively deliberated upon with industry groups and inter-ministerial consultations. In terms of disaster management, various initiatives like monitoring flood inundation, developing early warning models, and forecasting cyclone tracks were carried out.
Covid-19 Related Supports
During the Covid-19 pandemic, devices like Mechanical Ventilator & Medical Oxygen Concentrator were developed by ISRO, with the technologies subsequently transferred to Indian industries.