List Of Indian SatellitesEdit
India’s space program has grown from a modest research effort into a broad, domestically capable satellite enterprise. Run by the national space agency, the ISRO, it has built a sizable catalog of satellites serving civilian needs — weather, communications, agriculture, disaster management, and scientific inquiry — while also advancing national security and strategic autonomy. The satellites are launched from homegrown launchers such as the PSLV and GSLV families, demonstrating a sustained commitment to self-reliance and economic efficiency rather than dependency on foreign providers. The catalog also reflects a push to foster domestic industry and technical capabilities, with a clear emphasis on reliable, practical outcomes for governance and development.
This article catalogs notable Indian satellites and groups them by mission type, highlighting the purposes they serve and the programs behind them. The discussion includes the technology and policy choices that shaped their progress, as well as ongoing debates about budgets, priorities, and the role of private participation in space. It is a record of a national project that treats space not as a luxury but as a tool for development, security, and long-term sovereignty. For readers seeking broader context, see ISRO and Public–private partnership discussions in space as well as the main pages on launchers PSLV and GSLV.
Major satellite programs
Earth observation and resource monitoring satellites
Earth observation satellites form the backbone of India’s ability to monitor land and sea, manage resources, and respond to disasters. The core constellation is the Indian Remote Sensing satellites, commonly referred to by the short form IRS; these provide imagery and data used by agriculture departments, forestry services, urban planners, and disaster-management agencies. Notable members and successors of this family include the Cartosat line of high-resolution imaging platforms and the RISAT series, which carry radar payloads to collect data through clouds and at night. Other EO satellites such as the Oceansat family extend capacity to monitor weather, ocean dynamics, and marine resources; Resourcesat satellites focus on land and resource management at larger scales. Together, these satellites support weather forecasting, crop planning, water resources management, and environmental monitoring, with data feeds that feed into government services and private-sector analytics. See also the broader category of Earth observation satellite.
- IRS constellation and its imaging capabilities IRS
- Cartosat family for high-resolution mapping Cartosat
- RISAT radar imaging satellites RISAT
- Oceansat series for oceanography and weather OceanSat
- Resourcesat for resource management and agricultural planning Resourcesat
Communications satellites
Communications satellites extend voice, data, and broadcast services to vast parts of the country, supporting rural connectivity, broadcasting, and secure government communications. The GSAT line represents India’s in-house capacity to provide telecommunications and data services from space. These missions have enabled more reliable telecom backbones, better weather service dissemination, and more robust digital connectivity for government programs, businesses, and ordinary citizens. See also the page on GSAT.
- GSAT series (e.g., early and later generations) GSAT
Navigation and timing satellites
Navigation satellites provide positioning and timing data for civilian users, disaster response, aviation, shipping, and industry. India’s NavIC, or IRNSS, is the regional navigation system designed for independence from other global systems. The NavIC constellation delivers services across the Indian landmass and surrounding areas, with applications ranging from vehicle tracking to precision timing for telecommunications and finance. See NavIC; see also IRNSS as a historical acronym IRNSS.
Scientific and exploration satellites
India has launched satellites and missions aimed at space science, solar studies, and planetary exploration. Notable examples include Chandrayaan-1, which helped map the lunar surface and detect water molecules; Aditya-L1, a solar mission to study the sun; and AstroSat, India’s first dedicated space telescope for multi-wavelength astronomy. The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), popularly known as Mangalyaan, established India as a capable interplanetary actor with a relatively lean budget. These missions advance knowledge, inspire industry, and demonstrate strategic capability in basic science and technology. See Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, Aditya-L1, AstroSat, and Mars Orbiter Mission.
Private sector participation and policy framework
In recent years, policy changes have opened space activities to greater private participation, while maintaining strong public oversight. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre, or IN-SPACe, is the government body designed to promote private space activity under clear governance and safety rules. This framework aims to accelerate innovation, lower the cost of access to space, and translate space-derived data into commercial products, while ensuring national security and strategic priorities. See IN-SPACe.
Notable satellites by category (selected examples)
- IRS (Indian Remote Sensing) series for Earth observation: provides imagery for agriculture, land use, and resource management. IRS
- Cartosat family for detailed mapping and cartography. Cartosat
- RISAT radar imaging satellites for all-weather observation. RISAT
- Oceansat series for marine and atmospheric studies. OceanSat
- Resourcesat satellites for natural resource management. Resourcesat
- GSAT family for communications. GSAT
- NavIC/IRNSS for regional navigation and timing. NavIC IRNSS
- Chandrayaan-1 (lunar science and mapping). Chandrayaan-1
- Chandrayaan-2 (lunar orbiter and lander/rover mission components). Chandrayaan-2
- Chandrayaan-3 (lunar lander/rover mission, building on earlier efforts). Chandrayaan-3
- Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM; interplanetary mission to Mars). Mars Orbiter Mission
- AstroSat (multi-wavelength space telescope). AstroSat
- Aditya-L1 (solar observation mission). Aditya-L1
Controversies and policy debates
Proponents emphasize that India’s satellite program yields direct and measurable benefits: improved weather services, disaster response, agricultural planning, and digital connectivity that drive rural development and economic activity. They stress that a lean, efficient, homegrown program delivers security and sovereignty advantages, reduces dependency on foreign suppliers, and creates spillovers into the domestic tech economy. Supporters also point to the cost-effectiveness of ISRO’s project-management approach, which emphasizes risk management, on-time delivery, and reuse of launch infrastructure.
Critics sometimes frame space spending as a luxury or misallocate resources that could address social needs. They may argue for faster privatization or larger private-sector roles, broader international collaboration, or more transparency in budget reporting. Advocates respond that a strong space program is not in tension with social goals, because satellite-enabled services directly support agriculture, public safety, and digital inclusion. They also argue that strategic autonomy in space reduces geopolitical risk and enhances long-run growth, even if the initial costs appear high.
A related debate concerns how best to balance public control with private participation. The policy shift toward IN-SPACe and related institutions aims to blend accountability with entrepreneurship, but it invites scrutiny about regulatory clarity, national-security safeguards, and the distribution of benefits between the state and private actors. From a practical standpoint, the emphasis remains on building capabilities that India can rely on for decades, rather than chasing one-off projects or foreign dependency.