On the occasion of 56th Independence Day, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee made a historic announcement from the ramparts of the Red Fort that to upgrade India's technological capability and expand its scientific knowledge about planetary research, by 2008, the ISRO (ISRO) would undertake an unmanned mission to Moon. The successful launch of INSAT-3E and Resourcesat satellites the following month reaffirmed his commitment and acquired international significance in the event of technology denial by ‘developed’ nations and India’s successive failure in indigenous space missions. In 2008, India's first lunar probe — Chandrayaan 1 was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre using the ISRO's four-stage PSlV launch vehicle. This provided a major boost to India's space programme and renewed its interest in lunar exploration.
The successful launch of GSAT-6A communication satellite using the GSlV F08 launch vehicle is a watershed moment in ISRO’s illustrious journey and marks a big step towards realising its second Moon mission. It also marks the fifth consecutive success for a GSlV equipped with an indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage engine and has set the stage for the launch of Chandrayan 2 later in the year. ISRO’s success will not only help fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Digital India’ dream but also encourage emerging generations of scholars and scientists to undertake research and development at indigenous levels.
