Satellites

Satellites are an important topic in Science and Technology that involves artificial objects placed in orbit around the Earth or other celestial bodies for various purposes. They play a crucial role in communication, weather forecasting, navigation, remote sensing, and scientific research. Under this topic, we will study different types of satellites, their functions, orbits, and applications in modern technology and daily life.

A satellite is any object that orbits around a larger object due to gravitational forces. Satellites can be natural or artificial, depending on their origin.

Types of Satellites Based on Different Criteria

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CategoryTypeRange/CharacteristicsISRO Example(s)
A) Based on MassLarge Satellite>1000 kgGSAT Series (Communication Satellites)
Medium-Sized Satellite500–1000 kgINSAT-3DR (Meteorological Satellite)
Mini Satellite100–500 kgIndian Mini Satellite -1 (IMS-1) – YouthsatIndian Mini Satellite -2 (IMS-2) – SARAL
Micro Satellite10–100 kgMicrosat built by ISRO
Nano Satellite1–10 kgIndia’s first nano satellite, Jugnu: by IIT Kanpur.ISRO Nano Satellites – INS-1A and INS-1B 
Pico Satellite<1 kgStudent Satellite (STUDSAT) is the first pico-satellite developed in India.
B) Based on AltitudeLow Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite200–2000 kmCartosat-2 (Earth Observation)
Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) Satellite2000–35786 kmNavIC Satellites (Navigation System)
Geostationary Orbit (GEO) Satellite35786 kmINSAT-3DR (Meteorological Satellite)
C) Based on ApplicationsCommunication SatelliteGSAT Series (Communication)
Navigation SatelliteNavIC Satellites (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite)
Remote Sensing or Earth ObservationCartosat-2, RISAT-1 (Earth Observation)
Outer Space Exploration or Space ObservatoryASTROSAT (Space Observatory)

1. Communication Satellites (INSAT / GSAT / CMS Series)

  • These are typically placed in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) to provide continuous coverage for telecommunication, television broadcasting, and VSAT services.
  • INSAT (Indian National Satellite) Series (1982 onwards) → Telecommunication, broadcasting, meteorology.
    • INSAT-4 Series (2000s–present): Dedicated for Direct-to-Home (DTH) television broadcasting and communication.

Transition to GSAT and CMS Series

  • GSAT Series (2001 onwards) : INSAT nomenclature was changed to GSAT for improved services and technology. High-throughput communication satellites.
  • CMS Series: Introduced from 2020 onward for further technological improvements.
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SatelliteLaunch DatePrimary ApplicationNotable Features
GSAT-32004Education (EduSat)Dedicated to satellite-based distance education.
GSAT-7(Rukmini)2013Military communications (Indian Navy)First dedicated military communication satellite for the Indian Navy.
GSAT-7A(Angry bird)2018Air-to-air and air-to-ground communication (Indian Air Force)Enhances network-centric warfare for the Indian Air Force.
GSAT-82011Communication and navigation (GAGAN)Provides high-power transponders for DTH and navigation services.
GSAT-92017Regional cooperation (South Asia Satellite)Promotes regional cooperation by providing telecommunication and broadcasting services to South Asia.
GSAT-112018Broadband connectivityHeaviest satellite ever built by ISRO (5,854 kg), enhancing broadband and internet services across rural India and remote regions.
GSAT-302020Telecommunication, broadcastingReplaces INSAT-4A, provides services for DTH, telecommunication, and broadcasting.
CMS-012020Communication (Extended-C Band)Provides services for Indian mainland, Andaman-Nicobar, and Lakshadweep Islands; 42nd communication satellite of India.
GSAT-24 (GSAT-N1)2022Communication, DTH services24-Ku band satellite; pan-India coverage for DTH services (Tata Play); first demand-driven satellite mission by NSIL post-space reforms; mission life of 15 years.
GSAT-20 (GSAT-N2)2024Internet (Broadband connectivity)Launched via SpaceX Falcon-9 in late 2024; India’s first high-throughput satellite for in-flight connectivity and high-speed broadband.
GSAT-7R (CMS-03)November 2025(LVM3-M5)Dedicated to the Indian Navy.Heaviest communication satellite (about 4,400 kg) to be launched to GTO from Indian soil. 
Multi-band (UHF, S, C, and Ku-bands), multi-mission communication Satellite.
Provides secure real-time communication across the Indian Ocean Region. 

2. Remote Sensing / Earth Observation Satellites (IRS / EOS Series)

  • Most operate in Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbits (SSPO).
  • Bhaskara-1 (1979) and Bhaskara-2 (1981) laid the foundation for the indigenous Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) program. 
  • India’s remote sensing program began with the IRS-1A in 1988.
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Category/SeriesSatellitesDescriptionApplications
ResourcesatResourcesat-2 & 2ACrop monitoring, water body mapping.
CartosatCartosat-3 (2019)Urban planning, high-res 3D mapping.
OceansatOceansat-3 (EOS-06) – 2022Sea surface temperature, chlorophyll monitoring.
Oceansat-3A (PSLV N1/EOS-10) PSLV-N1 (First PSLV built by a HAL/L&T industry consortium). It will operate in tandem with EOS-06 for oceanographic and meteorological studies.
RISAT Series (Radar Imaging)RISAT-1A (EOS-04), RISAT-2B & RISAT-2BR1All-weather, day/night imaging (including through cloud cover) for agriculture/forestry.
EOS Series (Modern Standard)EOS-01 (Nov 2020)Used for agriculture, forestry, and disaster management.
EOS-04 (RISAT-1A, Feb 2022)Provides high-quality images in all weather conditions.
EOS-06 (Oceansat-3, Nov 2022) – PSLV-C54 Focused on ocean colour, sea surface temperature, and wind vector data.
EOS-07 (Microsat-2B, Feb 2023) – SSLV-D2Microsatellite for various Earth observation applications.
EOS-08 (Aug 2024) – SSLV-D3Microsatellite carrying infrared (EOIR) and navigation reflectometry (GNSS-R) payloads.
EOS-N1 (Anvesha)Jan 2026, Failed
EOS-10 (Oceansat-3A)Mar 2026 
NISAR/GSLV-F16 ISRO-NASA joint missionL-Band and S-Band radar imaging.

NASA–ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission

  • Dual-frequency Radar: NASA (L-band SAR) + ISRO (S-band SAR).
    • World’s first dual-band radar satellite for Earth observation.
  • Launch: GSLV Mk-II (GSLV-F16) from Sriharikota.
  • Orbit: Sun synchronous, Polar (747 km altitude).
  • Technique: SweepSAR for beam steering without sacrificing resolution.
  • Microwave imaging mission → acquire fully polarimetric and interferometric data.
  • Coverage: Revisits every location on Earth every 12 days.
  • Structure:
    • 12-meter deployable mesh antenna
    • 9-meter boom for scanning.
  • Objectives
    • Measure global land surface changes (ecosystem, ice-sheet collapse, earthquakes, landslides, volcanoes).
    • Monitor hazards, sea level, groundwater, biomass for disaster & climate management.
    • Detect crust & frozen region shifts with cm-level accuracy.
    • Promote global scientific collaboration & open data access.

TRISHNA: Thermal Infrared Imaging Satellite for High-Resolution Natural Resource Assessment.

  • Joint mission: ISRO (India) and CNES (France).
  • Focus: High-resolution thermal infrared imaging to study Earth’s surface temperature and water stress.
  • Objectives:
    • Monitor Land Surface Temperature (LST).
    • Assess water stress in crops.
    • Track droughts, heatwaves, and evapotranspiration.
  • Payloads:
    • TIR Instrument (Thermal Infrared Sensor) – French.
    • Visible + Near-Infrared Sensor – ISRO.
  • Key Features:
    • High-resolution (50–60 m).
    • Revisit time: 3 days.
    • Covers land, coastal zones, and shallow waters.

Major International Earth Observation Satellites

  • Landsat 9 (NASA + USGS) (Sep 2021)
  • Sentinel Series (ESA – Copernicus Programme) – India is also a partner.
    • Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich (Nov 2020) – Sea-level tracking via radar altimetry.
    • Sentinel-1C & 2C – Upcoming satellites expanding Earth observation.
    • Sentinel-6B Satellite
      • An advanced ocean-altimetry satellite launched via SpaceX Falcon-9.
      • Joint mission of NASA, NOAA, ESA, Eumetsat, European Commission, with support from CNES.
  • Gaofen Series (China) (2020–2023)
  • GOSAT-2 (Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite) – Japan – JAXA
  • KOMPSAT-6 (South Korea) (2022).

Sentinel-6B Satellite

  • An advanced ocean-altimetry satellite launched via SpaceX Falcon-9.
  • Joint mission of NASA, NOAA, ESA, Eumetsat, European Commission, with support from CNES.
  • Objective: It measures sea-surface height, waves, winds, and ocean dynamics to provide continuous, high-accuracy data essential for improved climate forecasting and coastal planning.

3. Navigation Satellites

  • Navigation Satellites provide positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services.
  • Navigation systems are of two types
    • Global
    • Regional.
  • GPS is the oldest, Galileo the most accurate, BeiDou the largest constellation.
  • Navigation satellites are mostly placed in MEO (except NavIC, QZSS, BeiDou mix).

Presently, there are four global satellite-based navigation systems:

CountryNavigation SystemNumber of Satellites 
USAGlobal Positioning System (GPS)31
RussiaGlobal Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS)24
ChinaBeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS)35
European UnionGalileo26

Regional navigation systems

  • QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System): Japan
  • NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation): India
  • KPS (Korean Positioning System): South Korea (under development).

Indian Navigation Satellite System

  • ISRO provides independent satellite-based navigation for civil aviation and general user needs.
  • India’s major navigation systems:
    • IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System) / NavIC – for national positioning services.
    • GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation) – for civil aviation.
    • GEMINI – Alerts to fishermen.
1. NavIC (ISRO’s Regional Navigation System)
  • Developer: Indian Space Research Organisation
  • Earlier known as Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System – IRNSS. 
  • Coverage: India + up to 1,500 km around borders. 
  • Constellation: 7 satellites (Currently 11)
    • 3 in Geostationary Orbit (GEO)
    • 4 in Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO)
  • Services: 2 types of services
    • Standard Positioning Service (SPS) → for civilian use.
  • Restricted Service (RS) → encrypted, for defence & strategic use.
Recent Developments
  • Next-Generation NavIC Satellites (NVS Series) – Part of second-generation NavIC satellites.
    • NVS-01: Launched (2023) on GSLV Mk-II (GSLV-F12) → 2nd generation with indigenous atomic clock.
      • L1 navigation band → compatible with global GNSS devices (esp. smartphones, consumer tech).
    • NVS-02: launched (Jan 2025) on GSLV-F15 → Strengthens constellation reliability (only 4/7 earlier satellites fully functional).
    • NVS-03 (GSLV-F17), NVS-04, NVS-05 planned by 2026 → Boost coverage & accuracy.
  • Accepted by International Maritime Organization (IMO) as part of World Wide Radio Navigation System (WWRNS) → merchant vessels can now use NavIC (like GPS & GLONASS) for ocean navigation.
  • Mandatory NavIC support in smartphones (2025 onwards) → Boosts civilian adoption.
    • Deadlines: 5G phones must feature NavIC support by January 1, 2025; non-5G phones by December 2025.
  • Coverage Expansion: From 1,500 km → 3,000 km beyond Indian borders.
  • Global Ambitions: Work initiated on GINS (Global Indian Navigation System) → satellites in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) for global reach.
Satellites

2. GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN)

  • Type: Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS).
  • Jointly Developed By: ISRO & Airport Authority of India (AAI).
  • Objectives:
    • High-accuracy satellite-based navigation for civil aviation.
    • Better Air Traffic Management over Indian airspace.
    • Interoperable with global SBAS for seamless navigation.
  • Signal-in-Space (SIS): Provided via GSAT-8 & GSAT-10 satellites.

3. Gagan Enabled Mariner’s Instrument for Navigation and Information (GEMINI)

  • Type: Satellite-based communication device (handheld) launched in 2019.
  • Developed by: AAI + ISRO + INCOIS (Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services).
  • Uses GAGAN satellites to transmit data.
  • Services Provided:
    • Real-time weather alerts (cyclones, storms, high waves).
    • Navigation information for safe fishing routes.
    • Emergency communication when mobile networks are unavailable.
  • Coverage: Entire Indian Ocean region within GAGAN footprint.
  • Target Users: Fishermen, coastal communities, maritime operators.

4. Space Science & Exploration (Interplanetary Missions)

  • These are “Other” category missions that focus on deep space and scientific discovery.
  • Interplanetary Missions: Space missions beyond Earth orbit, aimed at exploring the Moon, Mars, Sun, asteroids, and deep space.

Moon Missions

India’s Moon Missions
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Aspect

Chandrayaan 1 

Chandrayaan 2

Chandrayaan 3

Launch year

2008

2019

2023

Objectives

Study lunar surface
  • Study lunar surface and land rover on lunar south pole
  • To demonstrate Safe and Soft Landing on Lunar Surface
  • To demonstrate Rover roving on the moon and
  • To conduct in-situ scientific experiments.

Component

Orbiter
  • Orbiter, Lander (Vikram), Rover (Pragyan)
  • Propulsion module, Lander, Rover

Launch Vehicle 

PSLV C11
  • GSLV MkIII-M1
  • LVM3 M4

Landing site

Jawahar Sthal
  • Lunar south pole (Tiranga Point)
  • Lunar south pole (Statio Shiv Shakti) – 23 Aug – National Space Day.

Payloads

MIP (Moon Impact Probe)
  • Chandrayaan-2 Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer (CLASS)
  • Solar X-ray Monitor (XSM)
  • CHandra’s Atmospheric Compositional Explorer 2 (CHACE 2)
  • Propulsion Module- Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE)
  • Lander- Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE), Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA), Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA)
  • Rover- Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS), Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS)

Technology Validation

  • Limited to soft landing
  • HOP experiment : Future possibility of coming back from the moon.

Achievments

Discovered water molecules on the lunar surface.
  • Study lunar exosphere, surface mapping, and mineral composition.
  • Sulfur Presence: In-situ confirmation of Sulfur (S), indicating the Moon’s volcanic past.
  • Thermal Anomaly:ChaSTE recorded a 70°C surface temperature (expected 20-30°C),Thermal Anomaly: ChaSTE recorded a 70°C surface temperature (expected 20-30°C), showing lunar topsoil is a powerful insulator.

Key Achievements of Chandrayaan 3

  • India → 4th country to soft-land on Moon (after USA, USSR, China).
  • India → 1st country to land at lunar south pole → major milestone.
  • Confirmed presence of water ice in multiple sites.
  • Propulsion module tested lunar return trajectory → aids Chandrayaan-4.

Future Moon Missions

  • Chandrayaan-4 (Approved in 2024)
    • ISRO’s proposed mission to collect lunar samples from the lunar south pole and bring them back to the Earth.
    • Components: Ascender Module (AM), Descender Module (DM), Re-entry Module (RM), Transfer Module (TM), and Propulsion Module (PM).
    • Launch vehicle:  Two separate LVM3.
  • Chandrayaan-5/LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration)
    • Planned joint lunar mission by ISRO and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
    • Expected to be launched in 2026 or later.
    • Objectives: Explore the Moon’s surface, search for water, and consider future human activities on the Moon.
    • JAXA will provide the rover and launch vehicle, while ISRO will provide the lander.
  • Manned Moon Landing: Targeted for 2040, using the indigenous NGLV (Soorya) rocket.

Moon Missions of Other Countries

Mission

Description

Artemis Mission
  • Joint mission of NASA (leading), ESA, JAXA and Canadian Space Agency.
  • Aim: To land the first woman and person of colour on the Moon, create a lunar base, and lay the groundwork for a future trip to Mars.
  • Artemis 1: An uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft around the Moon (launched in 2022).
  • Artemis 2: Fly astronauts around the Moon and back (lunar flyby) without landing, planned in 2026.
  • Artemis 3: Land the first humans near the lunar south pole, planned in 2027.
  • Artemis 4: Aims to deliver a crew to the Lunar Gateway, a space station in lunar orbit in 2028.

Chang’e Program
  • Project of CNSA, China
  • Chang’e 4 mission (2019): First mission to have landed on the far side of the Moon.
  • Chang’e-5 (2020) → Sample return from near side.
  • Chang’e-6 (2024) → First-ever far side sample return mission. The landing spot was in the Apollo crater, which is about 2.5 billion years old.
  • Chang’e 7 (2026-27) → Find water using a “Hopper” in dark craters.

ILRS (International Lunar Research Station)
  • China and Russia are leading a rival block to the Artemis Accords, aiming to build a robotic (later human) base at the South Pole by 2030–2035.

SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) or “Moon Sniper”
  • Japan’s Moon landing mission launched in January 2024.
  • The aim of the mission is to examine a part of the Moon’s mantle. 
  • The SLIM lander landed near the Shioli Crater. 
  • Japan → Fifth country to soft-land a spacecraft on the moon, after the United States, the Soviet Union, China and India.
  • Japan’s Lunar Exploration Program also includes other missions, such as the uncrewed lunar orbiterSELENE (Kaguya) and the canceled SELENE-2 mission.

Beresheet
  • Israel’s first lunar mission and the first attempt by a private company to land on the Moon. 
  • The mission achieved lunar orbit, but was lost during an April 2019 landing attempt.

Luna-25
  • Russia’s lunar mission (failed).
  • Objective: Land on the Moon’s south pole and conduct scientific experiments.
  • Operated by the Russian space agency Roscosmos.

Rashid 2
  • UAE’s Rover – Scheduled to hitch a ride on a commercial US/Japanese lander in late 2026.
Sample return missions from Moon
  • Chang’e-5, Chang’e-6 (China), Apollo missions (NASA), Luna 16, 20, 24 and 25 (Russia).

Solar Missions

Aditya-L1 Mission (2023)

  • Mission: India’s first solar observatory-class mission.
  • Orbit: Halo orbit around Lagrange Point L1 (about 1.5 million km from Earth)
  • Orbit advantage: Continuous, uninterrupted observation of the Sun (no eclipses/occultations).
  • Scientific objectives:
    • Study solar atmosphere (chromosphere & corona) dynamics.
    • Investigate coronal heating, solar flares, CME initiation.
    • Observe in-situ plasma & particles near L1.
    • Study drivers of space weather (solar wind origin, composition and dynamics).
  • Payloads: Total 7 (5 by ISRO and 2 by Indian Academic institutes.
    • Remote Sensing Payloads
      • Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC)
      • Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT)
      • Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS)
      • High Energy L1 Orbiting X Ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS)
    • In-situ Payloads
      • Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX)
      • Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA)
      • Advanced Triaxial High Resolution Digital Magnetometers.

ESA’s Proba-3 Mission with ISRO

  • Agency: European Space Agency (ESA).
  • Launch Vehicle: PSLV-XL (PSLV-C59), by ISRO.
  • Orbit: High elliptical orbit, apogee about 60,000 km from Earth.
  • Mission type: In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD)
  • Objective: Demonstration of precise formation flying in space.
  • Science goal: Observation of the solar corona using innovative satellite formation flight
  • Other Points:
    • ESA’s first launch from India since Proba-1 (2001).
    • First-ever precision formation flight mission → two satellites acting like a giant coronagraph (one blocks the Sun’s disk, the other observes the corona) → to allow uninterrupted observation.
    • Corona is the outermost part of the Sun’s atmosphere.

Important Solar Missions

Solar Mission

Features / Purpose

Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
  • NASA and ESA 1995.It uses a coronagraph to block sunlight and better see the corona and solar eruptions

Solar Orbiter (SolO)
  • NASA and ESA
  • Launched in 2020.
  • It is a 7-year mission.
  • It will observe the Sun with high spatial resolution telescopes and capture observations in the environment directly surrounding the spacecraft to know how the Sun can affect the space environment throughout the solar system.

Parker Solar Probe
  • NASA’s mission launched in 2018.
  • It is studying the Sun’s atmosphere from closer than any other spacecraft. 
  • In 2021, it became the first spacecraft to fly through the Sun’s corona, or upper atmosphere.
  • The Probe has discovered that “coronal holes” in the sun’s atmosphere are the source of the fast solar wind, released during the rapid realignment of magnetic fields.

STEREO
  • Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory mission 
  • NASA launched twin spacecraft, STEREO-A and STEREO-B, in 2006, to study the Sun.
  • SOHO, Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and STEREO-A will provide 3D views of the Sun.

Kuafu-1 Solar Probe
  • China’s mission launched in 2022.
  • It is an Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-O) to solve the mystery of Sun’s eruptions.

Aditya L-1 
  • India’s first space-based observatory-class solar mission launched in Sep. 2023.

SMILE (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer)
  • European Space Agency
  • Collaborative mission with China to study interaction of solar wind with Earth’s magnetosphere.

NASA: SunRISE (2024) – Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment
  • Array of small satellites to study solar storms.
  • Mission Type: Constellation of CubeSats forming a space-based radio telescope
  • Objective: Study solar radio bursts and monitor space weather events (such as solar storms) that can impact Earth.

Xihe-2 (Proposed 2026-28)
  • China recently announced plans for the world’s first artificial probe at the L5 point.

Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP)
  • NASA
  • Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9
  • Purpose: To map the heliosphere’s boundary and trace the movement and acceleration of energetic particles.
  • Location: Positioned at L1 (first Earth–Sun Lagrange point), around 1 million miles (1.5 million km) from Earth toward the Sun.

PUNCH (Polarimeterto Unify the Coronaand Heliosphere) 
  • NASA – 2025/26
  • A small-sat mission designed to image the “missing link” where the solar corona transitions into the solar wind.

Venus Missions

Venus Orbiter Mission (Shukrayaan Mission)

  • The Venus Orbiter Mission of ISRO is scheduled to launch in March 2028.
  • India’s second interplanetary mission after the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) launched in 2013.
  • It is only an orbiter mission.
  • Goal: To explore the planet’s atmosphere, surface, and its interaction with the Sun.
  • It will carry the first ground-penetrating radar to Venus.
  • Shukrayaan-I will be launched on either GSLV Mk II or GSLV Mk III.
  • The mission will use the aerobraking technique to achieve a low-altitude orbit.
  • The scientific payloads / experiments : 16 Indian payloads, 2 Indian and international collaborative payloads, and one international payload.
    • Indian payloads:
      • S-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar for Venus mission (VSAR)
      • Venus Surface Emissivity and Atmospheric Mapper (VSEAM)
      • Lightning Instrument for VEnus (LIVE)
      • VEnus THermosphere Ionosphere composition Analyser (VETHICA)
      • Venus Advanced Radar for Topside Ionosphere and Subsurface Sounding (VARTISS)
      • Venusian Electron temperature and Density Analyser (VEDA)
      • Venus Ionospheric Plasma wave detectoR (VIPER)
      • Venus Radiation environment monitor (VeRad)
      • Venus Orbit Dust Experiment (VODEX)
    • Indian and international collaborative payloads
      • Venus Ionospheric and Solar Wind particle AnalySer (VISWAS)
      • Radio Anatomy of Venus Ionosphere (RAVI)
    • International payload
      • VIRAL (Venus InfraRed Atmospheric gases Linker)

Other Venus Missions

Country / Organization

Mission Details / Objectives

NASA
  • Mariner 2: The first successful mission to another planet, flying by Venus in 1962.
  • Pioneer Venus 1: The first American spacecraft to orbit Venus in 1978.
  • Magellan: The first spacecraft to image the entire surface of Venus in 1989.
  • DAVINCI: It will study Venus’s atmosphere and surface.
  • VERITAS: To map Venus in greater detail than Magellan, scheduled for launch in 2031.
  • HAVOC: A NASA mission concept that would use crewed airships to explore Venus’s atmosphere.

ESA
  • Venus Express: The first European spacecraft to orbit Venus in 2005.
  • EnVision: An orbiter mission to study Venus’s history, activity, and climate, scheduled for launch in 2031.

Japan
  • Akatsuki: Japan’s first mission to Venus, launched in 2010.

Russia
  • Venera: 1963
  • Vega

China
  • Venus Volcano Imaging and Climate Explorer (VOICE): Expected to launch in 2026 and arrive at Venus in 2027.

Other Important Interplanetary Missions

Important Mars Missions

CountryActive/RecentUpcoming (2028-2030)
IndiaMangalyaan-1 (2013, Ended)Mangalyaan-2 (Lander/Rover)
USAPerseverance, Curiosity, MAVEN (NASA has lost contact).Mars Sample Return
ChinaTianwen-1 (2021)Orbiter + Zhurong rover.First nation to achieve orbit + landing + rover in one mission.Tianwen-3 (Sample Return)
EuropeTrace Gas Orbiter (TGO)Rosalind Franklin Rover

Other Important Missions

Mission

Description

Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) Mission
  • Launched by: European Space Agency in 2023.
  • Mission spacecraft to study Jupiter and its three largest icy moons – Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
  • Particular emphasis on Ganymede as a planetary body and potential habitat.

OSIRIS REx
  • Asteroid study and sample return mission by NASA.
  • Launched in 2016 to study asteroid Bennu, and returned to Earth with a sample for analysis in 2023.
  • Sample analysis may reveal clues about the birth of our solar system (4.5 billion years ago) and genesis of life on Earth.

Double AsteroidRedirection Test(DART)
  • Collaboration between NASA and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
  • Launch: November 2021.
  • Purpose: To test a spacecraft’s ability to intentionally collide with an asteroid and alter its trajectory, demonstrating a method for planetary defense against potential asteroid threats.
  • Target: The Didymos binary asteroid system, consisting of a larger asteroid (Didymos) and a smaller moonlet (Dimorphos).
  • Successfully collided with Dimorphos in September 2022, altering its orbit.
  • Future Mission: The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hera mission.

Lucy Mission (NASA)
  • Objective: To study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids, remnants of our solar system’s formation.
  • Launch: Launched in 2021 on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.
  • Trajectory: Will utilize Earth’s gravity for a slingshot effect, allowing it to reach the Trojan asteroids.

Cassini Spacecraft
  • Joint Mission: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), Italian Space Agency (ASI).
  • Launch: October 15, 1997; reached Saturn in 2004.
  • Components:
    • Cassini Orbiter (NASA): First spacecraft to orbit Saturn, studied the system in detail.
    • Huygens Probe (ESA): Landed on Titan (Saturn’s largest moon) in 2005. – First landing in outer solar system. 
  • Updates (2025):
    • June 2025: NASA released Cassini’s final image before its descent – “The Day Earth Smiled” revisited.
    • Oct 2025: New analysis of Cassini data shows Enceladus may support microbial life, based on phosphates and amino acids detected.

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