State your opinion: India is a leading country in the field of Space Research.

Answer: I agree with the statement.

• ISRO was set up in 1969 under the guidance of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai; India’s first satellite Aryabhata was launched in 1975.
• India developed its own launch vehicles SLV, PSLV and GSLV; in 2017 PSLV put 104 satellites into orbit in one launch.
• Chandrayaan-1 (2008) found traces of water on the moon, Mangalyaan (launched 2013) reached Mars orbit in 2014 in the first attempt, and Chandrayaan-3 landed near the moon’s south pole in August 2023.
• Satellites for communication, weather forecasting, remote sensing and navigation (NavIC) serve the country, and India launches satellites for other countries at low cost.