India currently has 53 operational civilian satellites, including 21 communication, 21 Earth observation, 8 navigation and 3 science satellites, according to government data. The figure comes as ISRO launches the EOS-05 Earth observation satellite aboard GSLV-F17. India has also launched 129 satellites of its own since 1975, while planning a major defence constellation.
India's space programme marked another milestone in the early hours, with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launching its GSLV-F17 rocket carrying the EOS-05 (GISAT-1A) Earth observation satellite - India's first imaging satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit, positioned to monitor the country's territory and coastline from an altitude of 36,000 km and capture images covering almost the entire country as frequently as once every 10 minutes. The mission marked the 19th flight of India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), according to ISRO.
The launch offers a natural moment to take stock of exactly how many satellites India has sent into orbit, and how many remain functional today.
Six decades, hundreds of satellites
India's satellite programme dates back to 1975, when it launched its first satellite, Aryabhata. Since then, the country's space effort has scaled up dramatically. According to a written reply by Union Minister of State for Space Jitendra Singh in Parliament, ISRO has launched a total of 129 satellites of Indian origin and 342 foreign satellites belonging to 36 countries since 1975, of which nearly 39 are commercial satellites and the rest are nano-satellites.
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