By: Aakrith Harikumar

Edited By: Kayla Goldstein

In 2014, the New York Times released a cartoon of an Indian farmer (with a stereotypical cow) outside a room labeled ‘Elite Space Club,’ knocking to be let in. The cartoon would make sense if India had nothing to boast about—while feeling entitled to be let into this elite club. But, the cartoon was released after India launched its first Mars Orbiter Mission, popularly called Mangalyaan. Mangalyaan was a massive success because it made India the first Asian nation to launch a probe to Mars and the first in the world to be successful on the first attempt. That’s a lot of firsts. If that doesn’t impress you enough, India sent a probe to Mars at a cheaper cost ($74 million) than it took Alfonso Cuarón to make the film Gravity ($100 million)! ISRO, India’s National Space Agency, is pushing itself to new heights despite a budget only 1/25th the size of NASA’s. If that is not elite space club behavior, I don’t know what is. 

Now, I need to be fair. India’s space program is far from being as advanced as those of NASA, Roscosmos, or CNSA – US, Russia, and China’s space administrations, respectively. Its rocket propulsion systems are relatively underdeveloped. Amidst the larger public, the Indian space program’s achievements are not very well-known. As a developing country, India still needs to make many socio-economic tradeoffs to fund its space program. But there is no doubt that the Indian space program’s growth trajectory is almost cinematic. Here’s another way to think about it: the US sent Armstrong to the moon on July 16, 1969, while the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was not an official organization, yet!

Genesis: The Story of ISRO 

ISRO’s story is fascinating. It began as an organization founded by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, a Cambridge-educated member of one of India’s biggest business families in the 1950s. Sarabhai was no stranger to founding organizations. He also established the Physical Research Laboratory (a nationally accredited space research institute) and the famous Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad. ISRO initially undertook projects only for civilian developmental needs.  Today, it also operates a still-developing yet robust military venture focused on aiding reconnaissance missions and military communications for India’s Defense Space Agency. ISRO was mainly responsible for developing the GSAT7-A and EMISAT satellites—which have proven to be quite helpful for the Indian armed forces along the Pakistani and Chinese borders. 

With some research, anyone could spew these facts and name-drop famous satellites. But the bigger question is—what sets India’s space program apart?

Going back to the late 1960s, when the Cold War was at its peak, the only countries with a capacity for space launch were the United States, Russia, and China. At the time, the United States and Russia were economic superpowers who could afford to send shuttles (and people) into space. China was experiencing reasonable economic growth, allowing it to increase its space sector investments. However, India was largely poor, with a per capita income of less than $100. India has often been criticized for prioritizing its space program while millions in the country live below the poverty line. Regardless, every administration since Nehru knew that India’s space program would define its future as an important geopolitical player. And boy, were all of them right. 

India’s Moon Missions: Discoveries and Heartbreak

While India has had many successful launches, its missions to the moon are the most mention-worthy. I remember watching the news as an 8-year-old, when Chandrayaan-1, India’s debut flight to the moon, discovered water on its surface, making India the first country to do so.

The second moon mission, Chandrayaan-2, was in global headlines after it failed. It was ISRO’s biggest failure in over a decade. When the lander reached the moon in 2019, it crashed in the southern hemisphere due to a communication issue. The scientists at Mission Control were in tears, and Prime Minister Modi personally visited the headquarters to console the team. Although the mission’s orbiter entered lunar orbit, its lander and rover failed to reach the surface. But, in many ways, the mission’s failure paved a path for what will be one of humankind’s greatest space achievements—Chandrayaan-3. 

At first glance, Chandrayaan-3 is just like any other moon exploration mission. But the mission helped ISRO kill two birds with one stone. Chandrayaan-3’s success made India the fourth country to perform a soft landing on the moon. India also became the first nation to land on the south side of the moon—an unexplored area with potential for astounding discoveries. Coincidentally, it was the same side where Chandrayaan-2 crashed. As I said earlier,  cinematic!

The Future: Gaganyaan and Gearing Up for Competition 

For a developing country, India has been a high achiever in its space odysseys. Its Moon and Mars missions have broken records, and its missile testing program is doing well. However, it still has one target left—human spaceflight. India recently announced the names of four astronauts, India’s first human spaceflight team called Gaganyaan, to explore the earth at a low orbit. If all goes well, India should launch the program later this year, making it the fourth country with a human-spaceflight capable space program. 

Discoveries and development projects are only one side of ISRO’s operations. Thanks to the ever-changing nature of power politics and warfare, its objectives are broader than ever before. 

China’s famous 2007 Anti-Satellite Test (ASAT) strengthened India’s resolve to militarize its space program. India began to realize that space is not just a tool for development but a potential future arena for global conflict. A strong space program is integral to India’s security today more than ever. The seminal launch of the indigenous nuclear Intercontinental Ballistic, Agni-V, with multiple attached warheads, has brought India a step closer to becoming a formidable force against China’s supremacy in Asia. Now that it is fighting a two-front war against nuclear neighbors with space warfare capabilities—India is gearing up for geopolitical competition on land, air, sea, and of course—space. 

Despite its low growth levels a few decades ago, India showed the world that focusing on economic development and building a robust space program is not a zero-sum situation. As it reaches new heights through international collaboration with 61 countries including the US, France, and Japan—India is on the path towards balancing its military and developmental interests in space. Undoubtedly, ISRO has a long way to go, but it sure has earned its status as a member of the ‘Elite Space Club.’