National Space Day: From Chandrayaan-3 to Aditya-L1, how Indian chips are powering its space missions

Made-in-India semiconductor chips are powering key Indian space missions, supporting applications ranging from lunar and solar exploration to satellites and launch vehicles, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said on National Space Day.

"Made in India chips are powering Indian Space Missions," Vaishnaw said in a post on social media platform X.

According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), domestically designed and manufactured semiconductor components are being used across India's growing space programme, strengthening the country's efforts towards technological self-reliance.

Semiconductor Laboratory in Mohali

A key part of this capability is the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali, which develops and manufactures flight-grade semiconductor components designed to operate in the extreme conditions of space.

SCL produces specialised components, including radiation-hardened chips, electro-optical CCD and CMOS imagers, Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), and sensors that measure parameters such as pressure, acceleration, temperature and acoustics.

These indigenous semiconductor components have already been used in several major Indian space missions.

Chandrayaan-3 uses India-made camera chip

The Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander, for instance, carried an India-made camera chip developed by SCL Mohali for its imaging systems during the mission to the lunar surface.

Aditya-L1 uses radiation-hardened ADC chips

Similarly, India's solar mission, Aditya-L1, uses radiation-hardened Analogue-to-Digital Converter (ADC) chips manufactured by SCL for its scientific observations of the Sun.

Vikram processor powers launch vehicles

Indigenous semiconductor technology is also being used beyond scientific payloads. SCL's Vikram processor is deployed in satellite launch vehicles and rockets, providing onboard computing capabilities required during missions.

India expands domestic space-grade chip capabilities

The Ministry added that the growing ability to design and manufacture critical space-grade semiconductor components domestically is strengthening technological independence across India's space ecosystem.

As India plans further missions to explore space, locally manufactured chips are expected to play an expanded operational role in supporting the nation's scientific and launch infrastructure.