NASA’s Artemis II could greatly benefit India, according to experts. Even though India is not directly involved in the moon mission, it is part of the Artemis Accords, a framework with a list of principles for lunar exploration, including cooperation, interoperability and data sharing. Kaushik Ray, a veteran defence and space expert, told SCMP that since India is a signatory to the Artemis Accords, the success of Artemis II “strengthens a framework in which India is now a stakeholder.” India can use this position to access the Artemis framework and develop systems compatible with global lunar infrastructure. This means it would not have to work on them entirely on its own and would have the support of NASA and other signatories. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is making great strides in the field of space exploration. In 2023, Chandrayaan-3 became the world’s first to achieve a soft landing near the lunar south pole. ISRO is now aiming to launch its first crewed space flight programme, called Gaganyaan. Under it, Indian astronauts will be launched into a 400-km low-earth orbit for a three-day mission. It is currently scheduled for 2027.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/artemis-ii-nasa-shares-video-compilation-of-far-side-of-the-moon-an-eclipse-and-a-stunning-eartset-1775617095715">'Not out of light...': NASA shares video compilation of far side of the Moon, riddled with pockmarks</a><h2>India's future space missions</h2>Ray said that “the experience and data” gathered by the Artemis II mission will prove “highly relevant for India’s Chandrayaan and Gaganyaan programmes”. Besides, it would also immensely help “ISRO’s future ambitions in long-duration human space flight.” Its position will allow it to enter “collaborative missions, shared research, and participation in lunar exploration initiatives”, he added. Chandrayaan-4 is also in the works, which aims to gather samples from the lunar surface and return them to Earth around 2028. ISRO is also working with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency on LUPEX, a joint project to explore the Moon’s South Pole.&nbsp;After the Indian space sector was opened to private companies in 2023, it is projected to expand to a whopping US$44 billion annually by 2033, a fivefold increase from current figures, according to a joint report released by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. ISRO has a budget of US$1.6 billion for the 2026-2027 financial year. But the private sector could add immensely to its potential. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre was formed in 2020, and today the country has more than 400 space startups focusing on satellite manufacturing to launch vehicles. &nbsp;

The Artemis II mission could help India grow its space sector and work on new systems that can work for future moon programs. India is a signatory to the Artemis Accords and this lets it work in collaboration with other countries.

NASA’s Artemis II could greatly benefit India, according to experts. Even though India is not directly involved in the moon mission, it is part of the Artemis Accords, a framework with a list of principles for lunar exploration, including cooperation, interoperability and data sharing. Kaushik Ray, a veteran defence and space expert, told SCMP that since India is a signatory to the Artemis Accords, the success of Artemis II “strengthens a framework in which India is now a stakeholder.” India can use this position to access the Artemis framework and develop systems compatible with global lunar infrastructure. This means it would not have to work on them entirely on its own and would have the support of NASA and other signatories. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is making great strides in the field of space exploration. In 2023, Chandrayaan-3 became the world’s first to achieve a soft landing near the lunar south pole. ISRO is now aiming to launch its first crewed space flight programme, called Gaganyaan. Under it, Indian astronauts will be launched into a 400-km low-earth orbit for a three-day mission. It is currently scheduled for 2027. Also Read: 'Not out of light...': NASA shares video compilation of far side of the Moon, riddled with pockmarks India's future space missions Ray said that “the experience and data” gathered by the Artemis II mission will prove “highly relevant for India’s Chandrayaan and Gaganyaan programmes”. Besides, it would also immensely help “ISRO’s future ambitions in long-duration human space flight.” Its position will allow it to enter “collaborative missions, shared research, and participation in lunar exploration initiatives”, he added. Chandrayaan-4 is also in the works, which aims to gather samples from the lunar surface and return them to Earth around 2028. ISRO is also working with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency on LUPEX, a joint project to explore the Moon’s South Pole. After the Indian space sector was opened to private companies in 2023, it is projected to expand to a whopping US$44 billion annually by 2033, a fivefold increase from current figures, according to a joint report released by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. ISRO has a budget of US$1.6 billion for the 2026-2027 financial year. But the private sector could add immensely to its potential. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre was formed in 2020, and today the country has more than 400 space startups focusing on satellite manufacturing to launch vehicles.

The Artemis II mission could help India grow its space sector and work on new systems that can work for future moon programs. India is a signatory to the Artemis Accords and this lets it work in collaboration with other countries.

Artemis II can help India boost its own space sector, experts say

The Indian government’s venture capital fund meant for the space sector, which was approved in October 2024, is expected to begin investments only from April 2027, the country's Space Minister revealed in Parliament. The ₹1,000 crore (approx. $107 million) fund was announced in October 2024, following the approval of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was officially touted that the fund would “support 40 space startups, accelerate private industry’s growth, drive advancements in space technology, support ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India)”.&nbsp;As per the official announcement, the ₹1,000 crore sum was to be disbursed in a phased manner between 2025 and 2030. The government planned to invest the sum as follows: ₹150cr in FY2025-26, ₹250cr each in FY2026-27, FY2027-28, FY2028-29, and ₹100cr in FY2029-30.&nbsp;With FY2025-26 having come to a close, the first tranche of ₹150crore remains unspent. Given that the fund is expected to commence after April 2027, it is evident that the ₹250cr allocation for 2026-27 will also remain unspent. In total, the 400cr that was to be invested in the first two years remains unspent, affecting the overall progress of the first-of-its-kind Government initiative.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Allocation of funds for the private space industry are most crucial and important. Their timely and early manifestation is very critical for the nascent and fragile startups to grow and prosper,” an industry representative told this author on the condition of anonymity.&nbsp;&nbsp;While the Space VC fund was established under the aegis of India's space sector regulator and Government body IN-SPACE, SIDBI Venture Capital Limited (SVCL) has been made the investment manager. The Fund received SEBI’s registration on October 31, 2025 and declared its initial closing on November 10, 2025 at ₹1,005 crores. Subsequently, post SEBI registration activities, appointment of the custodian, registration with depositories for issuance of AIF units, and constitution of the Screening Committee and Investment Committee (IC), were completed, Minister Jitendra Singh revealed in Parliament.&nbsp;"Subsequently, post SEBI registration activities including appointment of the custodian, registration with depositories for issuance of AIF units, and constitution of the Screening Committee and Investment Committee (IC), were completed. In parallel, evaluation of Space startups has been continuing and four proposals are at an advanced stage following the Pre-IC approval," stated the Parliament reply.&nbsp;&nbsp;Given the nascent stage of the Space tech ecosystem, particularly in cases where startups have had limited or no prior exposure to institutional investors, there is a need felt to provide handholding to such startups, in order for them to organize their data better and share the requisite information with SVCL for the sanction process, it was added.&nbsp;&nbsp;With the handholding, SVCL is hopeful to complete the detailed appraisal shortly and place it before the Investment Committee for its consideration. It is expected that SVCL will be in a position to fund the approved startups in the first quarter of FY2027 after satisfactory completion of the third party due-diligence and execution of definitive documentation, concluded the Minister's reply in Parliament.&nbsp;&nbsp;Until the year 2020, the Indian space sector was a Government monopoly, where only the Government-run space agency ISRO could build and launch rockets, satellites, offer associated services. As part of space sector reforms rolled out in the year 2020, the Government established IN-SPACE to promote and oversee private sector participation in end-to-end space activities.&nbsp;According to the Government, the space VC fund aims to address the critical need for risk capital, as traditional lenders are hesitant to fund startups in this high-tech sector. With nearly 250 space startups emerging across the value chain, timely financial support is crucial to ensure their growth and prevent talent loss overseas, reads the Government's vision. This government-backed fund was meant to boost investor confidence, attract private capital, and signal the government's commitment to advancing space reforms. However, the significantly delayed deployment of the fund is a serious cause for concern in the industry.

Until 2020, the Indian space sector was a government monopoly, where only ISRO could build and launch rockets and satellites and offer associated services. After space sector reforms in 2020, IN-SPACE was established to promote and oversee private sector participation in space activities.

The Indian government’s venture capital fund meant for the space sector, which was approved in October 2024, is expected to begin investments only from April 2027, the country's Space Minister revealed in Parliament. The ₹1,000 crore (approx. $107 million) fund was announced in October 2024, following the approval of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was officially touted that the fund would “support 40 space startups, accelerate private industry’s growth, drive advancements in space technology, support ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India)”. As per the official announcement, the ₹1,000 crore sum was to be disbursed in a phased manner between 2025 and 2030. The government planned to invest the sum as follows: ₹150cr in FY2025-26, ₹250cr each in FY2026-27, FY2027-28, FY2028-29, and ₹100cr in FY2029-30. With FY2025-26 having come to a close, the first tranche of ₹150crore remains unspent. Given that the fund is expected to commence after April 2027, it is evident that the ₹250cr allocation for 2026-27 will also remain unspent. In total, the 400cr that was to be invested in the first two years remains unspent, affecting the overall progress of the first-of-its-kind Government initiative. “Allocation of funds for the private space industry are most crucial and important. Their timely and early manifestation is very critical for the nascent and fragile startups to grow and prosper,” an industry representative told this author on the condition of anonymity. While the Space VC fund was established under the aegis of India's space sector regulator and Government body IN-SPACE, SIDBI Venture Capital Limited (SVCL) has been made the investment manager. The Fund received SEBI’s registration on October 31, 2025 and declared its initial closing on November 10, 2025 at ₹1,005 crores. Subsequently, post SEBI registration activities, appointment of the custodian, registration with depositories for issuance of AIF units, and constitution of the Screening Committee and Investment Committee (IC), were completed, Minister Jitendra Singh revealed in Parliament. "Subsequently, post SEBI registration activities including appointment of the custodian, registration with depositories for issuance of AIF units, and constitution of the Screening Committee and Investment Committee (IC), were completed. In parallel, evaluation of Space startups has been continuing and four proposals are at an advanced stage following the Pre-IC approval," stated the Parliament reply. Given the nascent stage of the Space tech ecosystem, particularly in cases where startups have had limited or no prior exposure to institutional investors, there is a need felt to provide handholding to such startups, in order for them to organize their data better and share the requisite information with SVCL for the sanction process, it was added. With the handholding, SVCL is hopeful to complete the detailed appraisal shortly and place it before the Investment Committee for its consideration. It is expected that SVCL will be in a position to fund the approved startups in the first quarter of FY2027 after satisfactory completion of the third party due-diligence and execution of definitive documentation, concluded the Minister's reply in Parliament. Until the year 2020, the Indian space sector was a Government monopoly, where only the Government-run space agency ISRO could build and launch rockets, satellites, offer associated services. As part of space sector reforms rolled out in the year 2020, the Government established IN-SPACE to promote and oversee private sector participation in end-to-end space activities. According to the Government, the space VC fund aims to address the critical need for risk capital, as traditional lenders are hesitant to fund startups in this high-tech sector. With nearly 250 space startups emerging across the value chain, timely financial support is crucial to ensure their growth and prevent talent loss overseas, reads the Government's vision. This government-backed fund was meant to boost investor confidence, attract private capital, and signal the government's commitment to advancing space reforms. However, the significantly delayed deployment of the fund is a serious cause for concern in the industry.

Until 2020, the Indian space sector was a government monopoly, where only ISRO could build and launch rockets and satellites and offer associated services. After space sector reforms in 2020, IN-SPACE was established to promote and oversee private sector participation in space activities.

Approved in 2024, Indian Govt’s ₹1000cr Space VC fund delayed till 2027

Indian Space agency ISRO will be buying and inducting Semi-cryogenic rocket engines to enhance the rocketry muscle power and lifting capability of its largest rocket, the Launch Vehicle Mark 3(LVM3). India is going for purchase, as its national space agency does not possess proven and flight-ready semi-cryogenic rocket engines, which burn a combination of rocket-grade kerosene and super cooled liquid oxygen. A report by India's Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology mentions that ISRO has been allocated funds in 2026-27 for the "Induction of procured Semi-cryogenic engine towards expediting the enhancement of LVM3 launch vehicle payload capability."&nbsp;For the year 2026-27, Indian Space agency ISRO has been allocated a budget estimate of ₹10,397 crores(approx $1.09bn) for various missions and developmental activities that are categorized 'Space Technology'. In the Parliamentary report that spans over 60pages, the procurement and induction of the Semi-cryogenic engine finds mention a few times.Since the year 2023, this author has been reporting about the possibility of India procuring the 'RD-191' Semi-cryogenic engines from Russia, a longstanding strategic partner in sectors ranging from defence, nuclear energy, space technology, among others. The latest Indian Parliamentary report does not specify which Semi-cryogenic engine variant would be purchased, and its country of its origin. However, this Parliamentary report is the first publicly available Indian government document that specifically mentions about budget allocation for ISRO's semi-cryogenic engine procurement, a move that is crucial to the future of India's space programme.About the'RD-191' rocket engineThe 'RD-191' is a high-performance rocket engine fuelled by Kerosene and Liquid oxygen. It falls under the category&nbsp;Semi-cryogenic, as its fuel rocket-grade Kerosene can be stored at room temperature; and the oxidizer liquid oxygen has to be stored at super-cooled&nbsp;cryogenic temperatures(below -150degrees Centigrade).India's existing rockets are powered by engines that burn: solid-fuel, liquid-fuel, and&nbsp;cryogenic fuel (where liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen are stored at super-cooled temperatures). Though efforts have been underway to develop a&nbsp;semi-cryogenic engine dubbed 'SE-2000', India does not possess a proven, flight-ready engine as of now. India may need years more to have its homegrown semi-cryogenic engine, 'SE-2000'.&nbsp;Developed by NPO Energomash, the 'RD-191' is a workhorse engine used in Russia's Angara series of rockets. 'RD-191' is also a throttleable engine, which means that it can significantly reduce or increase its thrust mid-flight, a crucial capability that enables precise flight control, recovery and re-use of rocket&nbsp; stages. While Russia itself does not possesses reusable/vertical landing rockets, 'RD-191' offers some of the basic capabilities required in that regard.The RD-191 is approximately two-and-a-half times more powerful than&nbsp;ISRO's workhorse Indo-French Vikas engine. While the Vikas engine delivers about 60-80tons of thrust, the 'RD-191' is known to deliver between 200-220 tons of thrust. First flown by India in 1993, the Vikas engine is the mainstay engine used in India's PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3 rockets. The Vikas engine is based on the French Viking-3 engine of the 1980s.&nbsp;Why does India need the 'RD-191'?Indian space agency&nbsp;ISRO's largest and most powerful homegrown rocket LVM3 can lift only 4,000kg to the Geosynchronous transfer orbit, which is a higher orbit into which communication satellites are launched. Likewise, the LVM3 is said to be capable of lifting around 8,000-10,000kg to Low earth orbit, which is about 500kms above the earth's surface. India's most powerful rocket LVM3 has a very modest lift capability, when compared to its global peers operated by Government-run space agencies or private firms.&nbsp;India's rocketry muscle power deficiency has been evident on multiple occasions. In recent years, despite having its own rockets, India has had to pay foreign entities like Europe's Arianegroup and America's SpaceX to launch heavy satellites built in India. This was done because the satellites weighed much more than 4,000kg, which is the maximum lifting capability of India's LVM3 rocket.As India's growing space ambitions include the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme(astronaut mission), proposed Bharatiya Antariksh Station(Indian crewed space station), envisioned crewed moon landing, the country is in dire need of more rocketry muscle power. Designing and developing all-new rockets and rocket engines could take decades or longer, which is why India is looking to purchase the powerful 'RD-191' engine from Russia.&nbsp;How would India utilize the 'RD-191' engines? &nbsp;While the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) wishes to design and develop powerful rockets for the future, India's immediate priority is to enhance the lifting capability of the LVM3. To accomplish this,&nbsp;ISRO&nbsp;can use the Russian 'RD-191' engine and associated systems to replace the existing L110 or second stage of the three-stage LVM3 rocket. This is one step towards significantly enhancing the lifting power of the LVM3 rocket.&nbsp;The LVM3's lifting power can be further bolstered by using a more capable C32&nbsp;Cryogenic upper stage developed in-house by&nbsp;ISRO. This would help&nbsp;ISRO&nbsp;to launch satellites weighing around 4,500-5,000kg from home soil on its own rocket, while reducing dependence on foreign rockets.&nbsp;In the foreseeable future, the LVM3 rocket powered by the Russian&nbsp;Semi&nbsp;Cryogenic engine and the Indian C32&nbsp;Cryogenic stage could be used for various missions that were earlier not possible for&nbsp;ISRO&nbsp;due to the rocketry muscle power deficiency.&nbsp;ISRO's future rockets can be designed and developed based on the capabilities offered by the 'RD-191' engine. In heavy-lift rocketry, multiple engines are used in a cluster to deliver high amounts of lifting power. Therefore, a single rocket would require a dozen or more engines. In such cases, production of the engine in India under licence would be a necessity. India and Russia have also been exploring the possibility of making the 'RD-191' in India, in partnership with industry.&nbsp; &nbsp;

For the year 2026-27, Indian Space agency ISRO has been allocated a budget estimate of ₹10,397 crores(approx $1.09bn) for various missions and developmental activities that are categorized Space Technology.

Indian Space agency ISRO will be buying and inducting Semi-cryogenic rocket engines to enhance the rocketry muscle power and lifting capability of its largest rocket, the Launch Vehicle Mark 3(LVM3). India is going for purchase, as its national space agency does not possess proven and flight-ready semi-cryogenic rocket engines, which burn a combination of rocket-grade kerosene and super cooled liquid oxygen. A report by India's Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology mentions that ISRO has been allocated funds in 2026-27 for the "Induction of procured Semi-cryogenic engine towards expediting the enhancement of LVM3 launch vehicle payload capability." For the year 2026-27, Indian Space agency ISRO has been allocated a budget estimate of ₹10,397 crores(approx $1.09bn) for various missions and developmental activities that are categorized 'Space Technology'. In the Parliamentary report that spans over 60pages, the procurement and induction of the Semi-cryogenic engine finds mention a few times. Since the year 2023, this author has been reporting about the possibility of India procuring the 'RD-191' Semi-cryogenic engines from Russia, a longstanding strategic partner in sectors ranging from defence, nuclear energy, space technology, among others. The latest Indian Parliamentary report does not specify which Semi-cryogenic engine variant would be purchased, and its country of its origin. However, this Parliamentary report is the first publicly available Indian government document that specifically mentions about budget allocation for ISRO's semi-cryogenic engine procurement, a move that is crucial to the future of India's space programme. About the'RD-191' rocket engine The 'RD-191' is a high-performance rocket engine fuelled by Kerosene and Liquid oxygen. It falls under the category Semi-cryogenic, as its fuel rocket-grade Kerosene can be stored at room temperature; and the oxidizer liquid oxygen has to be stored at super-cooled cryogenic temperatures(below -150degrees Centigrade). India's existing rockets are powered by engines that burn: solid-fuel, liquid-fuel, and cryogenic fuel (where liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen are stored at super-cooled temperatures). Though efforts have been underway to develop a semi-cryogenic engine dubbed 'SE-2000', India does not possess a proven, flight-ready engine as of now. India may need years more to have its homegrown semi-cryogenic engine, 'SE-2000'. Developed by NPO Energomash, the 'RD-191' is a workhorse engine used in Russia's Angara series of rockets. 'RD-191' is also a throttleable engine, which means that it can significantly reduce or increase its thrust mid-flight, a crucial capability that enables precise flight control, recovery and re-use of rocket stages. While Russia itself does not possesses reusable/vertical landing rockets, 'RD-191' offers some of the basic capabilities required in that regard. The RD-191 is approximately two-and-a-half times more powerful than ISRO's workhorse Indo-French Vikas engine. While the Vikas engine delivers about 60-80tons of thrust, the 'RD-191' is known to deliver between 200-220 tons of thrust. First flown by India in 1993, the Vikas engine is the mainstay engine used in India's PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3 rockets. The Vikas engine is based on the French Viking-3 engine of the 1980s. Why does India need the 'RD-191'? Indian space agency ISRO's largest and most powerful homegrown rocket LVM3 can lift only 4,000kg to the Geosynchronous transfer orbit, which is a higher orbit into which communication satellites are launched. Likewise, the LVM3 is said to be capable of lifting around 8,000-10,000kg to Low earth orbit, which is about 500kms above the earth's surface. India's most powerful rocket LVM3 has a very modest lift capability, when compared to its global peers operated by Government-run space agencies or private firms. India's rocketry muscle power deficiency has been evident on multiple occasions. In recent years, despite having its own rockets, India has had to pay foreign entities like Europe's Arianegroup and America's SpaceX to launch heavy satellites built in India. This was done because the satellites weighed much more than 4,000kg, which is the maximum lifting capability of India's LVM3 rocket. As India's growing space ambitions include the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme(astronaut mission), proposed Bharatiya Antariksh Station(Indian crewed space station), envisioned crewed moon landing, the country is in dire need of more rocketry muscle power. Designing and developing all-new rockets and rocket engines could take decades or longer, which is why India is looking to purchase the powerful 'RD-191' engine from Russia. How would India utilize the 'RD-191' engines? While the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) wishes to design and develop powerful rockets for the future, India's immediate priority is to enhance the lifting capability of the LVM3. To accomplish this, ISRO can use the Russian 'RD-191' engine and associated systems to replace the existing L110 or second stage of the three-stage LVM3 rocket. This is one step towards significantly enhancing the lifting power of the LVM3 rocket. The LVM3's lifting power can be further bolstered by using a more capable C32 Cryogenic upper stage developed in-house by ISRO. This would help ISRO to launch satellites weighing around 4,500-5,000kg from home soil on its own rocket, while reducing dependence on foreign rockets. In the foreseeable future, the LVM3 rocket powered by the Russian Semi Cryogenic engine and the Indian C32 Cryogenic stage could be used for various missions that were earlier not possible for ISRO due to the rocketry muscle power deficiency. ISRO's future rockets can be designed and developed based on the capabilities offered by the 'RD-191' engine. In heavy-lift rocketry, multiple engines are used in a cluster to deliver high amounts of lifting power. Therefore, a single rocket would require a dozen or more engines. In such cases, production of the engine in India under licence would be a necessity. India and Russia have also been exploring the possibility of making the 'RD-191' in India, in partnership with industry.

For the year 2026-27, Indian Space agency ISRO has been allocated a budget estimate of ₹10,397 crores(approx $1.09bn) for various missions and developmental activities that are categorized 'Space Technology'.

ISRO to buy Semi-cryogenic engines to enhance LVM3 rocket; Funds allocated

An Indian Parliamentary panel has exposed that high-end technology developed by government organisations such as national space agency ISRO and related entities, are being transferred to private firms at undervalued rates. In the words of the panel, the technologies were transferred at disproportionately low prices, and it included those related to satellites, rockets, chemicals, advanced materials, sub-components that go into high-end systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;"It has been observed that technologies are often transferred to private players at undervalued rates, allowing these partners to earn significant profits while the originating institutes receive only a marginal share of the value created," said a report from the Parliamentary Standing on Science and Technology. The committee was reviewing the high-profile Department of Space (DoS), which operates under the direct watch of the Indian Prime Minister's Office.&nbsp;&nbsp;In response to the queries from the Parliamentary committee, the DoS said that ISRO's commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) has been transferring various technologies developed at ISRO or the larger DoS. NSIL has signed 100 Technology Transfer Agreements for transferring 61 technologies developed by Government entities to Indian Industry. &nbsp;According to the data shared in the Parliamentary report, almost 70 of the 100 technologies were transferred at less than Rs.10 lakh each. Of these 70, many were transferred at a cost lesser than Rs.5 lakh each and some were transferred for as less at Rs.6,000, while a handful were transferred at no cost.&nbsp;&nbsp;"The&nbsp;Committee expresses concern over the transfer of technologies in the space sector at disproportionately low prices relative to their commercial potential. Furthermore, there is no credible mechanism to verify whether the benefits of low-cost technology transfers are being passed on to the intended target users for whom the technologies were developed. In view of this, the Committee recommends that the Department of Space should consider adopting a more competitive and market-aligned pricing framework for technology transfer," the Parliamentary panel said.&nbsp;The panel said that technology licensing fees should appropriately reflect the true commercial value, uniqueness, and societal impact of technologies developed through public funding. To ensure transparency and accountability, the Committee further recommends that all technology transfer agreements be subject to periodic third-party audits, said the 40-member committee comprising Parliamentarians from India's ruling coalition, various opposition parties.&nbsp;The Department of Space said that it is moving towards a more competitive and market-aligned pricing framework for technology transfer. To this end, IN-SPACE(India's space regulator) has constituted a Standing Committee comprising members from the Department of Space, ISRO Headquarters, IN-SPACE, NSIL, and the respective ISRO centre that developed the technology.&nbsp;&nbsp;This Committee evaluates technology transfer fees holistically, taking into account factors such as technology development costs, market potential, the number of industries capable of assimilating the technology, and possible spin-off applications, to arrive at a fair and appropriate pricing for each transfer, it was mentioned.&nbsp;

ISRO technology being sold cheaply to private firms, Parliamentary panel finds

An Indian Parliamentary panel has exposed that high-end technology developed by government organisations such as national space agency ISRO and related entities, are being transferred to private firms at undervalued rates. In the words of the panel, the technologies were transferred at disproportionately low prices, and it included those related to satellites, rockets, chemicals, advanced materials, sub-components that go into high-end systems. "It has been observed that technologies are often transferred to private players at undervalued rates, allowing these partners to earn significant profits while the originating institutes receive only a marginal share of the value created," said a report from the Parliamentary Standing on Science and Technology. The committee was reviewing the high-profile Department of Space (DoS), which operates under the direct watch of the Indian Prime Minister's Office. In response to the queries from the Parliamentary committee, the DoS said that ISRO's commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) has been transferring various technologies developed at ISRO or the larger DoS. NSIL has signed 100 Technology Transfer Agreements for transferring 61 technologies developed by Government entities to Indian Industry. According to the data shared in the Parliamentary report, almost 70 of the 100 technologies were transferred at less than Rs.10 lakh each. Of these 70, many were transferred at a cost lesser than Rs.5 lakh each and some were transferred for as less at Rs.6,000, while a handful were transferred at no cost. "The Committee expresses concern over the transfer of technologies in the space sector at disproportionately low prices relative to their commercial potential. Furthermore, there is no credible mechanism to verify whether the benefits of low-cost technology transfers are being passed on to the intended target users for whom the technologies were developed. In view of this, the Committee recommends that the Department of Space should consider adopting a more competitive and market-aligned pricing framework for technology transfer," the Parliamentary panel said. The panel said that technology licensing fees should appropriately reflect the true commercial value, uniqueness, and societal impact of technologies developed through public funding. To ensure transparency and accountability, the Committee further recommends that all technology transfer agreements be subject to periodic third-party audits, said the 40-member committee comprising Parliamentarians from India's ruling coalition, various opposition parties. The Department of Space said that it is moving towards a more competitive and market-aligned pricing framework for technology transfer. To this end, IN-SPACE(India's space regulator) has constituted a Standing Committee comprising members from the Department of Space, ISRO Headquarters, IN-SPACE, NSIL, and the respective ISRO centre that developed the technology. This Committee evaluates technology transfer fees holistically, taking into account factors such as technology development costs, market potential, the number of industries capable of assimilating the technology, and possible spin-off applications, to arrive at a fair and appropriate pricing for each transfer, it was mentioned.

The technologies were transferred at disproportionately low prices, and it included those related to satellites, rockets, chemicals, advanced materials, sub-components that go into high-end systems

The overall system engineering of the first module of India's space station (Bharatiya Antariksh Station) and related technology development activities for various subsystems are progressing at the space agency ISRO's Centres, the Government has revealed in Parliament. India has planned to place an uncrewed space station about 400-600 km above the Earth. Gradually, ISRO hopes to build on the uncrewed station and make a five-module station capable of housing astronauts.&nbsp;Elaborating on the status of the first module of the Space Station, Space Minister Jitendra Singh said that ISRO's lead facility, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, has issued an Expression of Interest to Indian Industries for building the structure for the first module of Bharatiya Antariksh Station. The current approval is limited to the first module of Bharatiya Antariksh Station, and the cost of developing and launching the first module is estimated at ₹ 1763 crore (approx. $ 176 mn) over four years (2025 to 2028), it was revealed.&nbsp;&nbsp;Major technology goals targeted for BAS include rendezvous &amp; docking, robotics, in-orbit refuelling, crew quarters, intra-vehicular suit, and racks for microgravity experiments. Key microgravity research areas targeted include life sciences, pharmaceuticals, material sciences and manufacturing technologies, said Minister Singh. He added that "it is targeted to have the first module of BAS by 2028 and fully operational BAS with all five modules by 2035". ISRO is also working on the second and third iterations of Space Docking Experiment(SPADEX), which are enabling technologies that play a crucial role in space station development.&nbsp;Since 2018, India has been working on the Gaganyaan programme to send its astronauts 400 km above Earth, aboard a capsule launched by its own rocket. Gaganyaan is seen as the first step of India's human spaceflight programme, as it involves only a couple of days of stay in space. The Indian Space Station project is a step towards enabling long-term and sustained presence of Indian astronauts in the space environment.&nbsp;With ISRO having to work simultaneously on the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, lunar missions Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5, space station development, and a host of regular launch vehicle and satellite missions, executing these projects within the planned timeframe is widely regarded as a tall order.&nbsp; Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/-working-for-operationalization-indian-govt-says-on-defunct-navic-satellite-fleet-1774442630956">'Working for operationalisation,' Indian Govt says on defunct NAVIC satellite fleet</a>

India has planned to place an uncrewed space station about 400-600 km above the Earth. Gradually, ISRO hopes to build on the uncrewed station and make a five-module station capable of housing astronauts.

The overall system engineering of the first module of India's space station (Bharatiya Antariksh Station) and related technology development activities for various subsystems are progressing at the space agency ISRO's Centres, the Government has revealed in Parliament. India has planned to place an uncrewed space station about 400-600 km above the Earth. Gradually, ISRO hopes to build on the uncrewed station and make a five-module station capable of housing astronauts. Elaborating on the status of the first module of the Space Station, Space Minister Jitendra Singh said that ISRO's lead facility, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, has issued an Expression of Interest to Indian Industries for building the structure for the first module of Bharatiya Antariksh Station. The current approval is limited to the first module of Bharatiya Antariksh Station, and the cost of developing and launching the first module is estimated at ₹ 1763 crore (approx. $ 176 mn) over four years (2025 to 2028), it was revealed. Major technology goals targeted for BAS include rendezvous & docking, robotics, in-orbit refuelling, crew quarters, intra-vehicular suit, and racks for microgravity experiments. Key microgravity research areas targeted include life sciences, pharmaceuticals, material sciences and manufacturing technologies, said Minister Singh. He added that "it is targeted to have the first module of BAS by 2028 and fully operational BAS with all five modules by 2035". ISRO is also working on the second and third iterations of Space Docking Experiment(SPADEX), which are enabling technologies that play a crucial role in space station development. Since 2018, India has been working on the Gaganyaan programme to send its astronauts 400 km above Earth, aboard a capsule launched by its own rocket. Gaganyaan is seen as the first step of India's human spaceflight programme, as it involves only a couple of days of stay in space. The Indian Space Station project is a step towards enabling long-term and sustained presence of Indian astronauts in the space environment. With ISRO having to work simultaneously on the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, lunar missions Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5, space station development, and a host of regular launch vehicle and satellite missions, executing these projects within the planned timeframe is widely regarded as a tall order. Also read: 'Working for operationalisation,' Indian Govt says on defunct NAVIC satellite fleet

India has planned to place an uncrewed space station about 400-600 km above the Earth. Gradually, ISRO hopes to build on the uncrewed station and make a five-module station capable of housing astronauts.

Indian Space Station: Development & launch of first module to cost $187mn

#Gravitas In a major boost to India’s ever-expanding space ambitions, plans are now underway for a third spaceport near Gujarat’s coastline in the Arabian Sea. Gujarat’s science and technology minister, Arjun Modhwadia, said in the state assembly that a suitable site has been identified between Diu and Kodinar.

India Plans Third Spaceport Near Arabian Sea in Gujarat

India's strategic NAVIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) series of satellites, designed, built and maintained by the national Space agency ISRO, have gone defunct. The NAVIC series of satellites is meant to provide Position, Navigation &amp; Timing services for civilian and military users within India and 1,500 km beyond the country's borders. To resuscitate its regional navigation system and gain sovereign strategic capabilities, India must accelerate the production and launch of its NAVIC satellite fleet. To enable rapid replenishment, India might have to even consider launching pairs of NAVIC satellites using foreign rockets that have heavy-lift capability.<h2>The present condition of NAVIC</h2>Theoretically, a bare minimum of four satellites is required for the functioning of NAVIC. At present, barely 3 of 11 NAVIC satellites are fulfilling their core purpose, information shared by the Indian Government reveals.There are three NAVIC satellites believed to be capable of providing Positioning, Navigation &amp; Timing services: first-generation satellites IRNSS-1B, IRNSS-1I and second-generation satellite NVS-01. Of these three, IRNSS-1B has lived longer than its expected life of 10 years, and could fail anytime. If all goes well, IRNSS-1I could potentially function till 2028. NVS-01 has at least a decade of life ahead of it, if it functions as designed.Considering long-term functionality, only the NVS-01 satellite can be deemed truly operational.<h2>How many satellites are needed to revive NAVIC?</h2>If the Indian Government wishes to revive and sustain NAVIC in its basic form, it must have a total of four satellites. For this, the Indian Space Agency ISRO must urgently launch three satellites: NVS-03, NVS-04 and NVS-05, which can work together with the existing NVS-01. Launched in the year 2025, the NVS-02 satellite has been stuck in its initial orbit and is unable to fulfil its core purpose.Having a fleet of four operational satellites (NVS-01, 03, 04, 05) is just the basic requirement. For higher reliability and coverage, India would have to build and launch backup satellites in the NVS-series. Eventually, a fleet of six or seven NVS-series satellites would have to be maintained to reliably operate a regional Navigation system such as NAVIC.For context, the American Global Positioning System(GPS), which supports trillion-dollar civilian and military applications worldwide, requires a fleet of 24 satellites in orbit for optimum performance and round-the-clock global coverage. Considering how crucial GPS is to the global economy, the US Government maintains at least 30 GPS satellites in orbit at any given point of time. The six additional satellites are meant to ensure that the service remains reliable and robust, even when a few satellites fail or encounter unexpected glitches.To meet its own national requirements, China operates a fleet of Beidou satellites, which serve as an alternative to America's GPS. While Beidou's global network requires a fleet of 30 satellites in orbit, around 35 satellites are believed to be in orbit.Likewise, India too must have a proportional number of satellites.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/explained-india-s-desi-gps-navic-is-defunct-strategic-capability-lost-1773468443775">Explained: India's desi-GPS NAVIC is defunct; strategic capability lost</a><h2>Can ISRO execute missions at an unprecedented pace?</h2>If ISRO is truly looking to launch three NAVIC satellites in quick succession, it must build and assemble GSLV (formerly known as GSLV Mk2) rockets accordingly. The 52-meter-tall GSLV rocket is the preferred vehicle for carrying the 2,250kg NVS-series satellites. However, it must be noted that only one satellite can be carried per rocket, due to the rocket's lifting power limitations. Going by the recent record, ISRO has done only one or two GSLV launches in a year. If ISRO were to launch multiple NVS-series missions in quick succession, it would affect the schedules of other launches that are in the pipeline. It must be remembered that ISRO does around five or seven launches from home soil in a year.Alternatively, ISRO could consider launching two NVS-series satellites on a single LVM3 rocket, which is India's most capable launch vehicle. However, due to lifting power limitations while launching to higher orbits, the LVM3 rocket cannot carry two NVS satellites, which weigh a total of 4,500kg. Even if the LVM3 can be optimised to carry two NVS-series satellites to a lower orbit, satellite fuel must be spent to push the satellites to their destination orbit. Spending precious satellite fuel for orbit raising would reduce the planned lifetime of the satellite.ISRO builds and assembles most of its satellites, including the NVS-series, at its own facilities. Therefore, ISRO would have to re-allocate its human resources to work on three NVS-series satellites, while prioritising various missions that are in different stages of implementation. ISRO must also carry out parallel design, development, and testing of its ambitious scientific and exploratory satellite-specific missions such as Chandrayaan-4(to bring back samples from the moon) and Chandrayaan-5(also called LUPEX, which is being developed with Japan's JAXA).<h2>NVS-series and the pace of launches so far</h2>ISRO launched NVS-01 in May 2023; NVS-02 was launched in January 2025, which is after a gap of 19 months. It has been more than a year since the NVS-02 failure in February 2025, and its successor, NVS-03, has not been launched.In mid-2025, the Indian Government had revealed in Parliament that an NVS-series satellite was planned to be launched by end of the year. Subsequently, with a gap of six months, NVS-04 &amp; NVS-05 are planned to be launched, it was announced. However, none of these satellites has been launched so far. This amply indicates the wide gulf between the announcement and implementation.ISRO also faced three failures in six missions executed from home soil between January 2025 and January 2026, further slowing down the overall pace of activity and affecting morale.<h2>Could ISRO consider launching on a foreign rocket?</h2>On many instances, ISRO has paid foreign rocket operators such as Europe's Ariane group and Elon Musk's SpaceX to carry its heavy satellites(weighing above 4 tons) to space. To speed up the process of replacing the defunct NAVIC satellites, ISRO could consider this option yet again. Rockets such as Europe's Ariane 6 and America's Falcon 9 can ferry at least two NVS satellites to space in a single launch.Launching on such foreign rockets could potentially reduce the burden on India's launch schedule from home soil, and ensure that the NAVIC fleet is replenished faster. Given that India needs to launch multiple NVS-series satellites urgently, it remains to be seen if the Government-run space agency might opt for the foreign route.&nbsp;

India’s NAVIC faces a crisis with only a few operational satellites. ISRO may need rapid launches or foreign rockets to restore capability.

India's strategic NAVIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) series of satellites, designed, built and maintained by the national Space agency ISRO, have gone defunct. The NAVIC series of satellites is meant to provide Position, Navigation & Timing services for civilian and military users within India and 1,500 km beyond the country's borders. To resuscitate its regional navigation system and gain sovereign strategic capabilities, India must accelerate the production and launch of its NAVIC satellite fleet. To enable rapid replenishment, India might have to even consider launching pairs of NAVIC satellites using foreign rockets that have heavy-lift capability. The present condition of NAVIC Theoretically, a bare minimum of four satellites is required for the functioning of NAVIC. At present, barely 3 of 11 NAVIC satellites are fulfilling their core purpose, information shared by the Indian Government reveals. There are three NAVIC satellites believed to be capable of providing Positioning, Navigation & Timing services: first-generation satellites IRNSS-1B, IRNSS-1I and second-generation satellite NVS-01. Of these three, IRNSS-1B has lived longer than its expected life of 10 years, and could fail anytime. If all goes well, IRNSS-1I could potentially function till 2028. NVS-01 has at least a decade of life ahead of it, if it functions as designed. Considering long-term functionality, only the NVS-01 satellite can be deemed truly operational. How many satellites are needed to revive NAVIC? If the Indian Government wishes to revive and sustain NAVIC in its basic form, it must have a total of four satellites. For this, the Indian Space Agency ISRO must urgently launch three satellites: NVS-03, NVS-04 and NVS-05, which can work together with the existing NVS-01. Launched in the year 2025, the NVS-02 satellite has been stuck in its initial orbit and is unable to fulfil its core purpose. Having a fleet of four operational satellites (NVS-01, 03, 04, 05) is just the basic requirement. For higher reliability and coverage, India would have to build and launch backup satellites in the NVS-series. Eventually, a fleet of six or seven NVS-series satellites would have to be maintained to reliably operate a regional Navigation system such as NAVIC. For context, the American Global Positioning System(GPS), which supports trillion-dollar civilian and military applications worldwide, requires a fleet of 24 satellites in orbit for optimum performance and round-the-clock global coverage. Considering how crucial GPS is to the global economy, the US Government maintains at least 30 GPS satellites in orbit at any given point of time. The six additional satellites are meant to ensure that the service remains reliable and robust, even when a few satellites fail or encounter unexpected glitches. To meet its own national requirements, China operates a fleet of Beidou satellites, which serve as an alternative to America's GPS. While Beidou's global network requires a fleet of 30 satellites in orbit, around 35 satellites are believed to be in orbit. Likewise, India too must have a proportional number of satellites. Also Read: Explained: India's desi-GPS NAVIC is defunct; strategic capability lost Can ISRO execute missions at an unprecedented pace? If ISRO is truly looking to launch three NAVIC satellites in quick succession, it must build and assemble GSLV (formerly known as GSLV Mk2) rockets accordingly. The 52-meter-tall GSLV rocket is the preferred vehicle for carrying the 2,250kg NVS-series satellites. However, it must be noted that only one satellite can be carried per rocket, due to the rocket's lifting power limitations. Going by the recent record, ISRO has done only one or two GSLV launches in a year. If ISRO were to launch multiple NVS-series missions in quick succession, it would affect the schedules of other launches that are in the pipeline. It must be remembered that ISRO does around five or seven launches from home soil in a year. Alternatively, ISRO could consider launching two NVS-series satellites on a single LVM3 rocket, which is India's most capable launch vehicle. However, due to lifting power limitations while launching to higher orbits, the LVM3 rocket cannot carry two NVS satellites, which weigh a total of 4,500kg. Even if the LVM3 can be optimised to carry two NVS-series satellites to a lower orbit, satellite fuel must be spent to push the satellites to their destination orbit. Spending precious satellite fuel for orbit raising would reduce the planned lifetime of the satellite. ISRO builds and assembles most of its satellites, including the NVS-series, at its own facilities. Therefore, ISRO would have to re-allocate its human resources to work on three NVS-series satellites, while prioritising various missions that are in different stages of implementation. ISRO must also carry out parallel design, development, and testing of its ambitious scientific and exploratory satellite-specific missions such as Chandrayaan-4(to bring back samples from the moon) and Chandrayaan-5(also called LUPEX, which is being developed with Japan's JAXA). NVS-series and the pace of launches so far ISRO launched NVS-01 in May 2023; NVS-02 was launched in January 2025, which is after a gap of 19 months. It has been more than a year since the NVS-02 failure in February 2025, and its successor, NVS-03, has not been launched. In mid-2025, the Indian Government had revealed in Parliament that an NVS-series satellite was planned to be launched by end of the year. Subsequently, with a gap of six months, NVS-04 & NVS-05 are planned to be launched, it was announced. However, none of these satellites has been launched so far. This amply indicates the wide gulf between the announcement and implementation. ISRO also faced three failures in six missions executed from home soil between January 2025 and January 2026, further slowing down the overall pace of activity and affecting morale. Could ISRO consider launching on a foreign rocket? On many instances, ISRO has paid foreign rocket operators such as Europe's Ariane group and Elon Musk's SpaceX to carry its heavy satellites(weighing above 4 tons) to space. To speed up the process of replacing the defunct NAVIC satellites, ISRO could consider this option yet again. Rockets such as Europe's Ariane 6 and America's Falcon 9 can ferry at least two NVS satellites to space in a single launch. Launching on such foreign rockets could potentially reduce the burden on India's launch schedule from home soil, and ensure that the NAVIC fleet is replenished faster. Given that India needs to launch multiple NVS-series satellites urgently, it remains to be seen if the Government-run space agency might opt for the foreign route.

India’s NAVIC faces a crisis with only a few operational satellites. ISRO may need rapid launches or foreign rockets to restore capability.

What are India's options to revive desi-GPS NAVIC?

India's strategic NAVIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) series of satellites, designed, built and maintained by the national Space agency ISRO, are defunct. The NAVIC series of satellites is meant to provide Position, Navigation &amp; Timing services for civilian and military users within India and 1,500 km beyond the country's borders. Theoretically, a bare minimum of four satellites is required for the functioning of NAVIC. At present, barely 3 of 11 NAVIC satellites are fulfilling their core purpose, publicly available information reveals. Even among these 3 satellites, one could fail anytime, as it has well exceeded its expected life. &nbsp;<h3>What is NAVIC?</h3>India faced GPS-denial (reduced GPS accuracy) during the 1999 war against Pakistan, which hindered the Indian military from deftly navigating the treacherous Himalayan region, and affected the ability to conduct precision strikes at will on enemy positions. Faced with this strategic vulnerability and foreign dependence, the Indian Government planned to set up its own alternative to the American GPS.&nbsp;America operates GPS, China operates Beidou, Europe operates Galileo, and Russia operates GLONASS. NAVIC was designed to be India's sovereign alternative to these services. While the aforementioned services are available globally, India's NAVIC is meant to function only in the Indian subcontinent region(within Indian borders and 1,500 km beyond them).&nbsp;Between 2013 and 2018, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the first-generation Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System(IRNSS) series satellites. IRNSS was later known as NAVIC.<h3>How IRNSS-series satellites failed en masse...</h3>According to ISRO, the IRNSS first-generation was meant to have seven satellites. To fulfil this requirement, ISRO launched nine IRNSS satellites(IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H, 1I) between 2013 and 2018. Of the nine, only eight satellites were successfully placed in orbit. IRNSS-1I could not be placed in orbit due to a rocket failure.&nbsp;Of the eight that were placed in space, five satellites suffered failures in critical components known as atomic clocks. Atomic clocks are highly precise and sophisticated timekeeping instruments, which are fundamental to the operation of Navigation satellites. When all atomic clocks in a satellite fail, it implies a total failure of that satellite's capability to offer Position, Navigation &amp; Timing.&nbsp;In 2025, responding to a Right to Information(RTI) query, ISRO said that five(1A, 1C, 1D, 1E,1G) of eight IRNSS satellites suffered failure in all three on-board atomic clocks.&nbsp;With atomic clock failures in five of eight first-generation satellites, only three(1B, 1F, 1I) satellites remained operational. Even among these three remaining satellites, IRNSS-1B has exceeded its mission life of 10years and is now in its 11th year. Two atomic clocks onboard IRNSS-1F had failed earlier, while its third and final atomic clock failed this week. Launched in 2018, IRNSS-1I is expected to be operational until 2028.&nbsp;In a statement issued on Friday,(13th March), ISRO said that its "IRNSS-1F satellite launched in March 2016 has completed its design mission life of 10 years on 10th March 2026." On 13th March 2026, the procured on-board Atomic clock stopped functioning. However, the satellite will continue to function in-orbit for various societal applications to provide one-way broadcast messaging services, it was added.&nbsp;This implies that only two satellites IRNSS-1B and IRNSS-1I, from the first-generation are in some state of operation, but they face a high risk of failure anytime.&nbsp;During launch, ISRO had estimated that each IRNSS-series satellite could operate in space for 10years. Theoretically, these satellites could live longer, if they have fuel in their tanks for performing essential manoeuvres, and their crucial systems are functional. However, the premature atomic clock failures in six of eight satellites have been a big setback. ISRO admitted that all these atomic clocks were imported.<h3>ISRO's NVS-series satellites began to replace the IRNSS-series</h3>With the costly lessons learnt from the IRNSS-series(first -generation NAVIC) failures, which is India's first attempt at developing a constellation of GPS-like satellites, ISRO decided to build and launch larger satellites under the NVS-series. The NVS-series was meant to replace the IRNSS-series. In simple terms, the NVS-series is the second-generation, advanced fleet of NAVIC satellites. ISRO said that the NVS-series would comprise a total of five satellites.<h3>One of two Second Generation NAVIC satellites failed</h3>ISRO launched NVS-01 in May 2023, and that satellite has been working as designed, as per the agency. However, its successor satellite, NVS-02, which was launched in January 2025, failed to reach its designated orbit. The satellite remains stuck in its initial orbit, as the satellite's onboard engine could not fire to lift it higher. Stuck in the initial orbit, NVS-02 cannot provide Position, Navigation, Timing services. Therefore, India has only one fully functional NVS-series satellite(NVS-02) in orbit, when it requires five of them.<h3>ISRO's timelines are disconnected from reality</h3>In 2025, the Indian Government had said in Parliament that ISRO would launch the remaining NVS satellites by the end of 2026. However, this seems like an unrealistic timeline, given ISRO's pace so far. ISRO launched NVS-01 in May 2023; NVS-02 was launched in January 2025, which shows a gap of 19 months between the two launches. It has been more than a year after the NVS-02 failure, and its successor, NVS-03, has not been launched. ISRO has also faced three failures in six missions executed between January 2025 and January 2026, further slowing down the overall pace of activity and affecting morale.<h3>How do America's GPS and China's Beidou compare?</h3>The American Global Positioning System(GPS), which supports trillion-dollar civilian and military applications worldwide, requires a fleet of 24 satellites in orbit for optimum performance and round-the-clock global coverage. Considering how crucial GPS is to the global economy, the US Government maintains at least 30 GPS satellites in orbit at any given point in time. The six additional satellites are meant to ensure that the service remains reliable and robust, even when a few satellites fail or encounter unexpected glitches.&nbsp;To meet its own national requirements, China operates a fleet of Beidou satellites, which serve as an alternative to America's GPS. While Beidou requires a fleet of 30 satellites in orbit, around 35 satellites are believed to be in orbit.Meanwhile, after decades of scientific effort and billions of taxpayer Rupees spent, India's ambitious desi-GPS project NAVIC remains in a defunct state. While NAVIC requires a bare minimum of four satellites, it is presently down to three.&nbsp;Pitiably, two of the paltry three NAVIC satellites are counting down to age-related obsolescence. The present reality of NAVIC is a stark reminder that- even a quarter of a century after the Kargil War- India does not have an operational fleet of Position, Navigation &amp; Timing satellites for its strategic purposes.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/nasa-picks-april-1-as-artemis-2-launch-date-netizens-ask-why-april-fools-1773405980723">NASA picks April 1 as Artemis 2 launch date, and everyone is wondering, 'Why April Fool's...?'</a>

At present, barely 3 of 11 NAVIC satellites are fulfilling their core purpose, publicly available information reveals. Even among these 3 satellites, one could fail anytime, as it has well exceeded its expected life.  

India's strategic NAVIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) series of satellites, designed, built and maintained by the national Space agency ISRO, are defunct. The NAVIC series of satellites is meant to provide Position, Navigation & Timing services for civilian and military users within India and 1,500 km beyond the country's borders. Theoretically, a bare minimum of four satellites is required for the functioning of NAVIC. At present, barely 3 of 11 NAVIC satellites are fulfilling their core purpose, publicly available information reveals. Even among these 3 satellites, one could fail anytime, as it has well exceeded its expected life. What is NAVIC? India faced GPS-denial (reduced GPS accuracy) during the 1999 war against Pakistan, which hindered the Indian military from deftly navigating the treacherous Himalayan region, and affected the ability to conduct precision strikes at will on enemy positions. Faced with this strategic vulnerability and foreign dependence, the Indian Government planned to set up its own alternative to the American GPS. America operates GPS, China operates Beidou, Europe operates Galileo, and Russia operates GLONASS. NAVIC was designed to be India's sovereign alternative to these services. While the aforementioned services are available globally, India's NAVIC is meant to function only in the Indian subcontinent region(within Indian borders and 1,500 km beyond them). Between 2013 and 2018, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the first-generation Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System(IRNSS) series satellites. IRNSS was later known as NAVIC. How IRNSS-series satellites failed en masse... According to ISRO, the IRNSS first-generation was meant to have seven satellites. To fulfil this requirement, ISRO launched nine IRNSS satellites(IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H, 1I) between 2013 and 2018. Of the nine, only eight satellites were successfully placed in orbit. IRNSS-1I could not be placed in orbit due to a rocket failure. Of the eight that were placed in space, five satellites suffered failures in critical components known as atomic clocks. Atomic clocks are highly precise and sophisticated timekeeping instruments, which are fundamental to the operation of Navigation satellites. When all atomic clocks in a satellite fail, it implies a total failure of that satellite's capability to offer Position, Navigation & Timing. In 2025, responding to a Right to Information(RTI) query, ISRO said that five(1A, 1C, 1D, 1E,1G) of eight IRNSS satellites suffered failure in all three on-board atomic clocks. With atomic clock failures in five of eight first-generation satellites, only three(1B, 1F, 1I) satellites remained operational. Even among these three remaining satellites, IRNSS-1B has exceeded its mission life of 10years and is now in its 11th year. Two atomic clocks onboard IRNSS-1F had failed earlier, while its third and final atomic clock failed this week. Launched in 2018, IRNSS-1I is expected to be operational until 2028. In a statement issued on Friday,(13th March), ISRO said that its "IRNSS-1F satellite launched in March 2016 has completed its design mission life of 10 years on 10th March 2026." On 13th March 2026, the procured on-board Atomic clock stopped functioning. However, the satellite will continue to function in-orbit for various societal applications to provide one-way broadcast messaging services, it was added. This implies that only two satellites IRNSS-1B and IRNSS-1I, from the first-generation are in some state of operation, but they face a high risk of failure anytime. During launch, ISRO had estimated that each IRNSS-series satellite could operate in space for 10years. Theoretically, these satellites could live longer, if they have fuel in their tanks for performing essential manoeuvres, and their crucial systems are functional. However, the premature atomic clock failures in six of eight satellites have been a big setback. ISRO admitted that all these atomic clocks were imported. ISRO's NVS-series satellites began to replace the IRNSS-series With the costly lessons learnt from the IRNSS-series(first -generation NAVIC) failures, which is India's first attempt at developing a constellation of GPS-like satellites, ISRO decided to build and launch larger satellites under the NVS-series. The NVS-series was meant to replace the IRNSS-series. In simple terms, the NVS-series is the second-generation, advanced fleet of NAVIC satellites. ISRO said that the NVS-series would comprise a total of five satellites. One of two Second Generation NAVIC satellites failed ISRO launched NVS-01 in May 2023, and that satellite has been working as designed, as per the agency. However, its successor satellite, NVS-02, which was launched in January 2025, failed to reach its designated orbit. The satellite remains stuck in its initial orbit, as the satellite's onboard engine could not fire to lift it higher. Stuck in the initial orbit, NVS-02 cannot provide Position, Navigation, Timing services. Therefore, India has only one fully functional NVS-series satellite(NVS-02) in orbit, when it requires five of them. ISRO's timelines are disconnected from reality In 2025, the Indian Government had said in Parliament that ISRO would launch the remaining NVS satellites by the end of 2026. However, this seems like an unrealistic timeline, given ISRO's pace so far. ISRO launched NVS-01 in May 2023; NVS-02 was launched in January 2025, which shows a gap of 19 months between the two launches. It has been more than a year after the NVS-02 failure, and its successor, NVS-03, has not been launched. ISRO has also faced three failures in six missions executed between January 2025 and January 2026, further slowing down the overall pace of activity and affecting morale. How do America's GPS and China's Beidou compare? The American Global Positioning System(GPS), which supports trillion-dollar civilian and military applications worldwide, requires a fleet of 24 satellites in orbit for optimum performance and round-the-clock global coverage. Considering how crucial GPS is to the global economy, the US Government maintains at least 30 GPS satellites in orbit at any given point in time. The six additional satellites are meant to ensure that the service remains reliable and robust, even when a few satellites fail or encounter unexpected glitches. To meet its own national requirements, China operates a fleet of Beidou satellites, which serve as an alternative to America's GPS. While Beidou requires a fleet of 30 satellites in orbit, around 35 satellites are believed to be in orbit. Meanwhile, after decades of scientific effort and billions of taxpayer Rupees spent, India's ambitious desi-GPS project NAVIC remains in a defunct state. While NAVIC requires a bare minimum of four satellites, it is presently down to three. Pitiably, two of the paltry three NAVIC satellites are counting down to age-related obsolescence. The present reality of NAVIC is a stark reminder that- even a quarter of a century after the Kargil War- India does not have an operational fleet of Position, Navigation & Timing satellites for its strategic purposes. Also read: NASA picks April 1 as Artemis 2 launch date, and everyone is wondering, 'Why April Fool's...?'

At present, barely 3 of 11 NAVIC satellites are fulfilling their core purpose, publicly available information reveals. Even among these 3 satellites, one could fail anytime, as it has well exceeded its expected life. &nbsp;

Explained: India's desi-GPS NAVIC is defunct; strategic capability lost

Spacefaring is a zero-error business. The smallest of errors or acts of negligence can lead to million-dollar failures and capability loss. A year after the failure of its strategic-use NVS-02 Navigation satellite, the Indian Space Agency, ISRO, has now revealed that something as simple as an unconnected/disconnected part of a circuit could have been the cause. In the GSLV-F15/NVS-02 mission carried out in January 2025, ISRO's GSLV rocket placed the NVS-02 satellite in its initial orbit.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thereafter, the satellite had to fire its onboard engines to push itself to its final destination, a higher orbit that is almost 36,000 km above the Earth. However, the engine firing and orbit raising did not take place. Stuck in its initial orbit, the expensive satellite was unable to serve its core purpose of providing Position, Navigation, and Timing. ISRO said that it constituted an Apex Committee to review the observations and recommend further course of action regarding the NVS-02 satellite failure. Based on available Telemetry data, detailed simulation studies were further carried out.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-s-desi-gps-navic-is-near-defunct-satellites-need-urgent-replacement-1753359574919">https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-s-desi-gps-navic-is-near-defunct-satellites-need-urgent-replacement-1753359574919</a>&nbsp;The Apex Committee concluded that the prime reason for the observation was found to be the drive signal not reaching the pyro valve of the oxidizer line of the engine meant for orbit raising. “The committee concluded that the most likely cause for the observation is the disengagement of at least one contact (in each of the main and redundant paths) of the connector.” In simple terms, there were two circuits-a primary and a backup- but there was a "disengagement" in a contact(a connecting component) in both of them. Therefore, the signals for engine firing were not delivered; it can be inferred. However, this incident also raises questions about the agency's quality control and inspection standards, as both the primary and secondary systems seem to have failed in the same manner.&nbsp;Further, ISRO mentioned that the committee had provided a set of recommendations aimed at enhancing the redundancy and reliability of the engine firing system for future missions. In line with these recommendations, all the corrective actions were successfully implemented in the CMS-03/GSAT-7R satellite launched for the Indian Navy in November 2025, ISRO said. It was added that the engine firing systems performed satisfactorily and placed the CMS-03/GSAT-7R satellite in the intended orbit. Further, this set of recommendations will be followed for all future missions, as applicable, ISRO said.&nbsp;&nbsp;The NVS-02 failure was a costly one for India, as the failure rendered India's desi-GPS 'NAVIC' near-defunct. Back in 2025, the author had reported on the perilous condition of NAVIC after the NVS-02 failure. Even a year after the failure, ISRO has not launched the replacement for the NVS-02.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Unconnected wiring led to failure of India's navigation satellite, ISRO reveals

Spacefaring is a zero-error business. The smallest of errors or acts of negligence can lead to million-dollar failures and capability loss. A year after the failure of its strategic-use NVS-02 Navigation satellite, the Indian Space Agency, ISRO, has now revealed that something as simple as an unconnected/disconnected part of a circuit could have been the cause. In the GSLV-F15/NVS-02 mission carried out in January 2025, ISRO's GSLV rocket placed the NVS-02 satellite in its initial orbit. Thereafter, the satellite had to fire its onboard engines to push itself to its final destination, a higher orbit that is almost 36,000 km above the Earth. However, the engine firing and orbit raising did not take place. Stuck in its initial orbit, the expensive satellite was unable to serve its core purpose of providing Position, Navigation, and Timing. ISRO said that it constituted an Apex Committee to review the observations and recommend further course of action regarding the NVS-02 satellite failure. Based on available Telemetry data, detailed simulation studies were further carried out. Also Read: https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-s-desi-gps-navic-is-near-defunct-satellites-need-urgent-replacement-1753359574919 The Apex Committee concluded that the prime reason for the observation was found to be the drive signal not reaching the pyro valve of the oxidizer line of the engine meant for orbit raising. “The committee concluded that the most likely cause for the observation is the disengagement of at least one contact (in each of the main and redundant paths) of the connector.” In simple terms, there were two circuits-a primary and a backup- but there was a "disengagement" in a contact(a connecting component) in both of them. Therefore, the signals for engine firing were not delivered; it can be inferred. However, this incident also raises questions about the agency's quality control and inspection standards, as both the primary and secondary systems seem to have failed in the same manner. Further, ISRO mentioned that the committee had provided a set of recommendations aimed at enhancing the redundancy and reliability of the engine firing system for future missions. In line with these recommendations, all the corrective actions were successfully implemented in the CMS-03/GSAT-7R satellite launched for the Indian Navy in November 2025, ISRO said. It was added that the engine firing systems performed satisfactorily and placed the CMS-03/GSAT-7R satellite in the intended orbit. Further, this set of recommendations will be followed for all future missions, as applicable, ISRO said. The NVS-02 failure was a costly one for India, as the failure rendered India's desi-GPS 'NAVIC' near-defunct. Back in 2025, the author had reported on the perilous condition of NAVIC after the NVS-02 failure. Even a year after the failure, ISRO has not launched the replacement for the NVS-02.

The Apex Committee concluded that the prime reason for the observation was found to be the drive signal not reaching the pyro valve of the oxidizer line of the engine meant for orbit raising

Imagine our scientists at ISRO like detectives searching for the perfect place to dig treasure on the Moon. Well, they just found it! They have identified a special location called MM-4 in the Mons Mouton area, right near the Moon’s South Pole. This is where India’s next big space mission, called Chandrayaan-4, will land around 2028. It is like finding the perfect address for your new home—everything has to be just right.&nbsp;Mons Mouton (MM) is a mountain-like highland area near the Moon’s South Pole, and it is considered important because this region may have water ice and safer terrain for future missions.&nbsp;Now, why is this Chandrayaan-4 mission so special and exciting for all of us? Think of it this way: our earlier Moon missions were like sending a camera to take pictures and send them back. But Chandrayaan-4 is different. It is India’s first mission that will actually collect Moon soil and rock pieces and bring them back to Earth. Yes, you read it right—we will have real Moon samples in our Indian laboratories! Scientists will study these samples like examining precious gems under a microscope. The spacecraft will have five special parts working together—first it goes there, then it collects samples, then it launches back, and finally it returns home safely. It is like a perfectly planned operation where everything must work without any mistakes.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/india-japan-annual-summit-pm-modi-hails-isro-jaxa-collaboration-on-chandrayaan-5-mission-1756487042954">India-Japan Annual Summit: PM Modi hails ISRO, JAXA collaboration on Chandrayaan-5 mission</a>&nbsp;So why did our scientists choose the Moon’s South Pole, and specifically this MM-4 spot? Here is the exciting part that affects all of us. The South Pole has special areas that stay in permanent shadow, like the darkest corner of your room that never gets sunlight. These cold, shadowy areas are like natural freezers that have kept water ice trapped there for billions of years. This water ice is not just frozen water—it is treasure! If scientists can find enough of it, we can make drinking water for people, oxygen for them to breathe, and even rocket fuel. Imagine astronauts staying on the Moon without carrying everything from Earth. That is the dream, and it starts with finding this water ice.&nbsp;But landing on the Moon’s South Pole is not easy. The terrain is very rough, with mountains, craters, and huge boulders scattered everywhere, like an obstacle course. A wrong landing can mean disaster—the spacecraft could crash or break. ISRO needed to find a spot that is relatively flat and smooth, gets enough sunlight for solar power to work, is free from dangerous boulders, and has good communication link with Earth. It is like finding a parking space in Mumbai that is not too slanted, not too dark, and not too crowded with obstacles.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-and-japan-discuss-progress-of-chandrayaan-5-lupex-moon-landing-mission-9073130">India and Japan discuss progress of Chandrayaan-5-LUPEX moon landing mission</a>&nbsp;ISRO scientists took high-quality pictures using a special camera on the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft that is still orbiting the Moon. They studied four possible sites like MM-1, MM-3, MM-4, and MM-5. They looked at every detail—the slope angle, the height, how many hazards like rocks and craters were there, and where were the safe flat patches where the lander could touch down. After careful examination, MM-4 emerged as the clear winner. In a one-kilometre area around it, the slope is only about five degrees—that is very gentle, almost like a slightly tilted table. The hazards are the lowest at around nine per cent. There are five hundred and sixty-eight safe spots where the lander can land. It is like comparing four houses for rent, and this MM-4 is the safest one with the best views and strongest foundation.&nbsp;What will India gain from landing here? First is safety—the mission needs to land successfully to collect samples. Second is scientific knowledge—the samples from this highland area near the South Pole will teach us about the Moon’s ancient history, its rocks, and whether water ice really exists nearby. Third is preparation—if we confirm water ice exists here, it will help India plan longer stays on the Moon or even build a base there one day. This would make India a major player in space exploration, earning respect from all nations worldwide.&nbsp;Other countries are watching this spot too. China’s missions have visited different Moon areas. America also wanted to send a rover here to search for ice. The South Pole has become like a hotspot where everyone wants to explore because of the resources it holds. By choosing MM-4, ISRO proves it is making smart, careful decisions using its own Moon data. Success in Chandrayaan-4 will not just bring Moon pieces to our labs but will inspire countless people and open doors to discoveries we cannot imagine today.

ISRO has selected MM-4 near the Moon’s South Pole as its spot for Chandrayaan-4’s 2028 landing. This mission will collect Moon soil and rocks and return to Earth with them, helping India study lunar history and possible water ice.

Imagine our scientists at ISRO like detectives searching for the perfect place to dig treasure on the Moon. Well, they just found it! They have identified a special location called MM-4 in the Mons Mouton area, right near the Moon’s South Pole. This is where India’s next big space mission, called Chandrayaan-4, will land around 2028. It is like finding the perfect address for your new home—everything has to be just right. Mons Mouton (MM) is a mountain-like highland area near the Moon’s South Pole, and it is considered important because this region may have water ice and safer terrain for future missions. Now, why is this Chandrayaan-4 mission so special and exciting for all of us? Think of it this way: our earlier Moon missions were like sending a camera to take pictures and send them back. But Chandrayaan-4 is different. It is India’s first mission that will actually collect Moon soil and rock pieces and bring them back to Earth. Yes, you read it right—we will have real Moon samples in our Indian laboratories! Scientists will study these samples like examining precious gems under a microscope. The spacecraft will have five special parts working together—first it goes there, then it collects samples, then it launches back, and finally it returns home safely. It is like a perfectly planned operation where everything must work without any mistakes. Also Read: India-Japan Annual Summit: PM Modi hails ISRO, JAXA collaboration on Chandrayaan-5 mission So why did our scientists choose the Moon’s South Pole, and specifically this MM-4 spot? Here is the exciting part that affects all of us. The South Pole has special areas that stay in permanent shadow, like the darkest corner of your room that never gets sunlight. These cold, shadowy areas are like natural freezers that have kept water ice trapped there for billions of years. This water ice is not just frozen water—it is treasure! If scientists can find enough of it, we can make drinking water for people, oxygen for them to breathe, and even rocket fuel. Imagine astronauts staying on the Moon without carrying everything from Earth. That is the dream, and it starts with finding this water ice. But landing on the Moon’s South Pole is not easy. The terrain is very rough, with mountains, craters, and huge boulders scattered everywhere, like an obstacle course. A wrong landing can mean disaster—the spacecraft could crash or break. ISRO needed to find a spot that is relatively flat and smooth, gets enough sunlight for solar power to work, is free from dangerous boulders, and has good communication link with Earth. It is like finding a parking space in Mumbai that is not too slanted, not too dark, and not too crowded with obstacles. Also Read: India and Japan discuss progress of Chandrayaan-5-LUPEX moon landing mission ISRO scientists took high-quality pictures using a special camera on the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft that is still orbiting the Moon. They studied four possible sites like MM-1, MM-3, MM-4, and MM-5. They looked at every detail—the slope angle, the height, how many hazards like rocks and craters were there, and where were the safe flat patches where the lander could touch down. After careful examination, MM-4 emerged as the clear winner. In a one-kilometre area around it, the slope is only about five degrees—that is very gentle, almost like a slightly tilted table. The hazards are the lowest at around nine per cent. There are five hundred and sixty-eight safe spots where the lander can land. It is like comparing four houses for rent, and this MM-4 is the safest one with the best views and strongest foundation. What will India gain from landing here? First is safety—the mission needs to land successfully to collect samples. Second is scientific knowledge—the samples from this highland area near the South Pole will teach us about the Moon’s ancient history, its rocks, and whether water ice really exists nearby. Third is preparation—if we confirm water ice exists here, it will help India plan longer stays on the Moon or even build a base there one day. This would make India a major player in space exploration, earning respect from all nations worldwide. Other countries are watching this spot too. China’s missions have visited different Moon areas. America also wanted to send a rover here to search for ice. The South Pole has become like a hotspot where everyone wants to explore because of the resources it holds. By choosing MM-4, ISRO proves it is making smart, careful decisions using its own Moon data. Success in Chandrayaan-4 will not just bring Moon pieces to our labs but will inspire countless people and open doors to discoveries we cannot imagine today.

ISRO has selected MM-4 near the Moon’s South Pole as its spot for Chandrayaan-4’s 2028 landing. This mission will collect Moon soil and rocks and return to Earth with them, helping India study lunar history and possible water ice.

Moon treasure hunt: India finds the perfect location on the map

Indian Space agency ISRO provided more than 725 sets of data from the country's fleet of Earth-observing satellites, for global disaster management initiatives, Government revealed in Parliament. This reinforces India’s commitment to respond to global humanitarian causes, said the Parliament reply by India's Space Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh. ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) at Hyderabad is responsible for remote sensing satellite data acquisition and processing, data dissemination, aerial remote sensing and decision support for disaster management.&nbsp;According to the Government, ISRO’s active involvement in international disaster management initiatives such as International Charter: Space and Major Disasters and Sentinel Asia helped India to receive more than 2,260 sets of satellite data during the last three years, for generating timely inputs for management of major disasters that affected the country during this period.&nbsp;ISRO successfully conducted the lead role of International Charter: Space and Major Disasters for six months in 2025. During the lead role period, it coordinated 39 activations of the Charter for rapid information dissemination, on-boarded four new authorized users; ensuring wider reach of space-based services for developing nations, and effectively coordinated smooth functioning of the Charter. It also on-boarded GHGSat (Green House Gas emission measuring Satellite) as new data source and improved the visualisation of the Charter’s portal.&nbsp;ISRO is also Co-chairing the Sentinel Asia steering committee, providing strategic guidance on use of space technology for disaster management in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2026, India will be hosting the annual meetings of International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite System (ICG); BRICS Heads of Space Agencies; and International Planetary Data Alliance.&nbsp;Earlier this week, the Indian Embassy in Vienna, Austria had mentioned, Dr. Prakash Chauhan, Director, NRSC, ISRO, delivered India's national statement at the 63rd Session of the Scientific &amp; Technical Subcommittee of UN COPUOS in the country. Chauhan highlighted that scientific data from ISRO's Aditya -L1 and XPoSat were made available to researchers to support scientific studies. He added that ISRO successfully led the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters for six months in 2025.

ISRO is also Co-chairing the Sentinel Asia steering committee, providing strategic guidance on use of space technology for disaster management in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Indian Space agency ISRO provided more than 725 sets of data from the country's fleet of Earth-observing satellites, for global disaster management initiatives, Government revealed in Parliament. This reinforces India’s commitment to respond to global humanitarian causes, said the Parliament reply by India's Space Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh. ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) at Hyderabad is responsible for remote sensing satellite data acquisition and processing, data dissemination, aerial remote sensing and decision support for disaster management. According to the Government, ISRO’s active involvement in international disaster management initiatives such as International Charter: Space and Major Disasters and Sentinel Asia helped India to receive more than 2,260 sets of satellite data during the last three years, for generating timely inputs for management of major disasters that affected the country during this period. ISRO successfully conducted the lead role of International Charter: Space and Major Disasters for six months in 2025. During the lead role period, it coordinated 39 activations of the Charter for rapid information dissemination, on-boarded four new authorized users; ensuring wider reach of space-based services for developing nations, and effectively coordinated smooth functioning of the Charter. It also on-boarded GHGSat (Green House Gas emission measuring Satellite) as new data source and improved the visualisation of the Charter’s portal. ISRO is also Co-chairing the Sentinel Asia steering committee, providing strategic guidance on use of space technology for disaster management in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2026, India will be hosting the annual meetings of International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite System (ICG); BRICS Heads of Space Agencies; and International Planetary Data Alliance. Earlier this week, the Indian Embassy in Vienna, Austria had mentioned, Dr. Prakash Chauhan, Director, NRSC, ISRO, delivered India's national statement at the 63rd Session of the Scientific & Technical Subcommittee of UN COPUOS in the country. Chauhan highlighted that scientific data from ISRO's Aditya -L1 and XPoSat were made available to researchers to support scientific studies. He added that ISRO successfully led the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters for six months in 2025.

ISRO is also Co-chairing the Sentinel Asia steering committee, providing strategic guidance on use of space technology for disaster management in the Asia-Pacific region.&nbsp;

ISRO provided its satellite data for global disaster management efforts: Govt

Of the six space launch missions that the Indian space agency ISRO performed from home soil in the last 12 months, three have failed. These are: GSLV-F15/NVS-02(satellite failure) in Jan 2025, PSLV-C61/EOS-09(mid-flight rocket failure and satellite loss) in May 2025, and the PSLV-C62/EOS-N1(mid-flight rocket failure and satellite loss) in January 2026. All three Government-funded satellites lost in these failed missions were critical for India's national security. While it is certain that ISRO will return with successful missions and replace these satellites, it is estimated that India would need between two to three years to replace all three national security satellites lost in the past year.&nbsp;<h2>50-55% of an ISRO satellite's parts are imported</h2>According to ISRO, while Indian industries supply majority of the materials that go into the country's rockets and satellites, few critical materials and space-grade electronics components are still being imported. The import component is around 10% for a rocket and around 50 - 55% for a satellite. This includes memory chips, sensors, onboard computers, relays and other items. These are imported predominantly because of non-availability of certain critical technologies in India.&nbsp;While some of these parts are available off-the-shelf from international vendors, some are custom-made and take time to be delivered, and are vulnerable to supply chain disruptions. It must be emphasized that each satellite that ISRO lost due to failures in the last year is a unique version: each one is of a different size, different mass, different technological capability, which warrants different types of components from various sources.&nbsp;<h2>Satellite assembly, integration and testing</h2>Even when all these parts are available, it takes several months, even years, for a whole satellite to be assembled, integrated and tested. Given that ISRO builds and assembles most of its satellites at its own facilities, ISRO would have to re-allocate its human resources to work on re-doing failed missions, while prioritizing various missions that are in different stages of implementation.&nbsp;ISRO must also carry out parallel design, development, testing of its ambitious scientific and exploratory satellite-specific missions such as Chandrayaan-4(to bring back samples from the moon) and Chandrayaan-5(also called LUPEX which is being developed with Japan's JAXA).&nbsp;<h2>ISRO would need few months to identify, rectify PSLV failures</h2> The PSLV-C61 rocket failed in May 2025. Since then, the rocket had not been flown(it was grounded for almost 8 months). The PSLV-C62 launch of January 2026 was the comeback flight of the workhorse rocket, but that has also suffered a failure. Going forward, ISRO would need to identify the root cause, rectify the issues, before flying the PSLV again.&nbsp;<h2>ISRO does barely 6-8 launches in a year, must accommodate Gaganyaan&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;While ISRO has been saying&nbsp; that it would perform more than 10 launches in a year, this has never been demonstrated. Of the handful of launches that ISRO performs in a year, few tend to be commercial launches implemented for foreign customers. Therefore, ISRO must prioritize its launches to balance between requirements of Indian Government satellites and foreign commercial ones.&nbsp;&nbsp;For the foreseeable future, ISRO is the only entity in India that will be able to launch satellites that weigh over 500kg. While private firms are making efforts to develop and fly rockets that can launch 100-300kg to low earth orbit, they have not flown to space till date. Even when they start launching, it would take a few successful launches before they are entrusted with national security satellites.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the coming years, ISRO would have to perform a few test launches, unmanned launches in preparation for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme. For this, ISRO needs the all-new Human-rated LVM3 rocket(known as HLVM3). ISRO plans at least three unmanned HLVM3 flights(where a robot would be carried in the space capsule). This would place further stress on the limited number of launches that ISRO does annually, and could lead to further delays in the overall timeline.<h2>ISRO's recent record of satellite replacement after failure</h2>In August 2021, ISRO's launch of Earth-imaging Geostationary satellite GISAT-1 failed mid-flight, due to a malfunction in the Cryogenic stage of the GSLV rocket. As of January 2026, its replacement satellite has not been placed in orbit. It is being estimated that the replacement could be launched sometime in 2026. Weighing over 2,200kg, GISAT-1 is the largest Earth-imaging satellite to be built by ISRO. Almost four-and-a-half years after the GISAT-1 launch failure, the replacement is not in space . &nbsp;In January 2025, ISRO's NVS-02 Navigation satellite could not be pushed to its destination orbit, after a thruster valve failed to open. Due to this, the satellite was stuck in its initial orbit and remains in an unusable condition. NVS-02 weighs over 2,200kgs and is part of a series of five NVS-series Position, Navigation, Timing satellites that ISRO is building. Despite having a couple of NVS-series satellites that are being built, ISRO has not been able to replace the failed NVS-02 by January 2026(within a one year period). NVS-02 is expected to be launched sometime in 2026.&nbsp;<h2>Lost opportunities, financial losses</h2>Going by rocket and satellite cost estimates, these three mission failures in the bygone year would have cost the Indian Government well over a hundred million dollars. Further, the Government would have to spend the same amount of money(adjusted for inflation) to re-do these missions. Also, one must factor in the cost of the lost opportunities. Because, in the absence of these indigenously developed strategic satellites, India would have to purchase similar satellite-based services from foreign firms.&nbsp; &nbsp;

According to ISRO, while Indian industries supply majority of the materials that go into the country's rockets and satellites, few critical materials and space-grade electronics components are still being imported. 

Of the six space launch missions that the Indian space agency ISRO performed from home soil in the last 12 months, three have failed. These are: GSLV-F15/NVS-02(satellite failure) in Jan 2025, PSLV-C61/EOS-09(mid-flight rocket failure and satellite loss) in May 2025, and the PSLV-C62/EOS-N1(mid-flight rocket failure and satellite loss) in January 2026. All three Government-funded satellites lost in these failed missions were critical for India's national security. While it is certain that ISRO will return with successful missions and replace these satellites, it is estimated that India would need between two to three years to replace all three national security satellites lost in the past year. 50-55% of an ISRO satellite's parts are imported According to ISRO, while Indian industries supply majority of the materials that go into the country's rockets and satellites, few critical materials and space-grade electronics components are still being imported. The import component is around 10% for a rocket and around 50 - 55% for a satellite. This includes memory chips, sensors, onboard computers, relays and other items. These are imported predominantly because of non-availability of certain critical technologies in India. While some of these parts are available off-the-shelf from international vendors, some are custom-made and take time to be delivered, and are vulnerable to supply chain disruptions. It must be emphasized that each satellite that ISRO lost due to failures in the last year is a unique version: each one is of a different size, different mass, different technological capability, which warrants different types of components from various sources. Satellite assembly, integration and testing Even when all these parts are available, it takes several months, even years, for a whole satellite to be assembled, integrated and tested. Given that ISRO builds and assembles most of its satellites at its own facilities, ISRO would have to re-allocate its human resources to work on re-doing failed missions, while prioritizing various missions that are in different stages of implementation. ISRO must also carry out parallel design, development, testing of its ambitious scientific and exploratory satellite-specific missions such as Chandrayaan-4(to bring back samples from the moon) and Chandrayaan-5(also called LUPEX which is being developed with Japan's JAXA). ISRO would need few months to identify, rectify PSLV failures The PSLV-C61 rocket failed in May 2025. Since then, the rocket had not been flown(it was grounded for almost 8 months). The PSLV-C62 launch of January 2026 was the comeback flight of the workhorse rocket, but that has also suffered a failure. Going forward, ISRO would need to identify the root cause, rectify the issues, before flying the PSLV again. ISRO does barely 6-8 launches in a year, must accommodate Gaganyaan While ISRO has been saying that it would perform more than 10 launches in a year, this has never been demonstrated. Of the handful of launches that ISRO performs in a year, few tend to be commercial launches implemented for foreign customers. Therefore, ISRO must prioritize its launches to balance between requirements of Indian Government satellites and foreign commercial ones. For the foreseeable future, ISRO is the only entity in India that will be able to launch satellites that weigh over 500kg. While private firms are making efforts to develop and fly rockets that can launch 100-300kg to low earth orbit, they have not flown to space till date. Even when they start launching, it would take a few successful launches before they are entrusted with national security satellites. In the coming years, ISRO would have to perform a few test launches, unmanned launches in preparation for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme. For this, ISRO needs the all-new Human-rated LVM3 rocket(known as HLVM3). ISRO plans at least three unmanned HLVM3 flights(where a robot would be carried in the space capsule). This would place further stress on the limited number of launches that ISRO does annually, and could lead to further delays in the overall timeline. ISRO's recent record of satellite replacement after failure In August 2021, ISRO's launch of Earth-imaging Geostationary satellite GISAT-1 failed mid-flight, due to a malfunction in the Cryogenic stage of the GSLV rocket. As of January 2026, its replacement satellite has not been placed in orbit. It is being estimated that the replacement could be launched sometime in 2026. Weighing over 2,200kg, GISAT-1 is the largest Earth-imaging satellite to be built by ISRO. Almost four-and-a-half years after the GISAT-1 launch failure, the replacement is not in space . In January 2025, ISRO's NVS-02 Navigation satellite could not be pushed to its destination orbit, after a thruster valve failed to open. Due to this, the satellite was stuck in its initial orbit and remains in an unusable condition. NVS-02 weighs over 2,200kgs and is part of a series of five NVS-series Position, Navigation, Timing satellites that ISRO is building. Despite having a couple of NVS-series satellites that are being built, ISRO has not been able to replace the failed NVS-02 by January 2026(within a one year period). NVS-02 is expected to be launched sometime in 2026. Lost opportunities, financial losses Going by rocket and satellite cost estimates, these three mission failures in the bygone year would have cost the Indian Government well over a hundred million dollars. Further, the Government would have to spend the same amount of money(adjusted for inflation) to re-do these missions. Also, one must factor in the cost of the lost opportunities. Because, in the absence of these indigenously developed strategic satellites, India would have to purchase similar satellite-based services from foreign firms.

According to ISRO, while Indian industries supply majority of the materials that go into the country's rockets and satellites, few critical materials and space-grade electronics components are still being imported.&nbsp;

India may need 2-3 years to replace 3 strategic satellites lost in 12 months

The mid-flight failure of the Indian space agency ISRO's PSLV-C62 rocket launch mission on Monday, (12th Jan), has led to the loss of 15 satellites from India and abroad. In a major setback to India's national security apparatus, the million-dollar hyperspectral Earth-imaging satellite built by the Government's Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) was also among the satellites destroyed. For the $4 trillion economy behemoth that is the Indian Government, a million-dollar satellite's loss is one loss among a few failed missions in the last 12 months. However, a less discussed aspect is that of six satellites belonging to fledgling Indian startups that have been destroyed in this mission. The question also lingers whether these firms had managed to obtain insurance cover for their little spacecrafts. In comparison, it is known that ISRO does not insure its own rockets and satellites that are launched from home soil. However, ISRO has insured its own satellites when they fly on foreign rockets. The contrast here is stark: The Indian Government Space agency ISRO has been enjoying considerable taxpayer funding since the year 1969. In recent years, ISRO has been utilising lesser funds than actually allocated to it, and has been returning excess funds to the Government's coffers. ISRO also had a monopoly over rocket launches and satellite building until the year 2020. In contrast, India's space startups cropped up over the last five years, after the Government enabled their foray. In what is widely regarded as a risk-averse nation, these startups built by youngsters have been taking a leap of faith into a high-risk, low-return business with zero tolerance for failure. Fuelled by hard-won private funding, these startups are taking baby steps in the highly competitive sector, where India has less than 2 per cent share in the global space economy. It is amid such a scenario that several satellites from Indian startups were hit by the PSLV-C62 failure.WION sought responses from the startups involved to understand what this 'PSLV-C62' launch mission meant to them, the satellite-based technology they intended to demonstrate or operationalise in space, and the impact that this failure may have on their future operations and business.AyulSat from OrbitaidAll satellites have a limited lifetime, and that limit is imposed by how much fuel they can carry. When satellites in space run out of fuel, they lose the ability to steer themselves, make minor adjustments to their orbital path, and point in the intended direction. When satellites reach the end of their life, it is predominantly because they run out of fuel. So, what if satellites can be refuelled by another satellite in space? Pretty much like how a large military plane refuels a small fighter jet. AyulSat by Orbitaid was to make a brave attempt in this regard: can liquid fuel be moved from one tank to another in space?"Our 25kg Ayulsat had two fuel tanks. One tank was filled with propane fuel, while the other tank was empty. In the microgravity environment of space, everything floats, including fuel. We wanted to try and transfer the fuel from one tank to another, a feat that's simple on Earth and highly sophisticated while in space. This would have also validated our proprietary Standard Interface Docking and Refuelling Port(SIDRP). AyulSat was also to serve as a target satellite for our future space docking experiment, where two satellites would meet up in space, orient themselves perfectly to get mechanically attached, perform transfer of power, data, and fuel," Sakthikumar, CEO of Orbitaid, explained to this author.Queried about whether the AyulSat satellite was covered by insurance, he said that multiple attempts to obtain insurance from Indian and foreign companies did not materialise. He added that insurance firms are hesitant to provide cover for innovative, experimental first-time satellites built by startups, given the high risk of failure. He also added that the aspect of failure was never discussed with ISRO's commercial arm NSIL, given the stellar record of PSLV. However, he added that the company has a backup plan and hopes to launch two satellites in about 7 months from now to complete the planned space docking experiment.MOI-1 satellite from Eon Space Labs, TakeMe2SpaceEON Space Labs integrated their advanced multispectral imaging payload MIRA, integrated with MOI-1, a CubeSat, weighing a mere 14 kgs, developed by fellow startup TakeMe2Space. This small craft was to demonstrate the viability of an AI-powered orbital image laboratory. The mission was meant to enable near real-time, in-orbit processing of Earth observation data, significantly lowering data downlink costs.According to Sanjay Kumar, Co-founder of Eon Space Labs, the launch of MIRA aboard MOI-1 was to cause a shift in how Earth observation missions are designed and utilised. Instead of merely capturing images and sending raw data back to Earth like most common satellites, our experimental satellite was to generate insights in orbit.The company did not offer a response to the author's query on whether they had insured the satellite. They said, we are grateful to ISRO for the opportunity to be part of the PSLV-C62 mission. While the result was not what we had hoped for, the learnings from this mission are valuable, and our focus remains firmly on execution and moving forward with clarity and resilience, they added. As for the next mission, the company said they are prioritising MOI-2 as the next flight opportunity, and are targeting a mid-2026 launch to space, using an available launch platform, subject to mission alignment and availability.CGUSAT, DSUSAT, Thybolt-3, LACHIT from Dhruva SpaceDhruva Space, a full-stack space engineering company, had contributed towards several small satellites aboard the PSLV-C61. Emphasising that Space missions are inherently complex, Sanjay Nekkanti, CEO &amp; Co-founder, Dhruva Space said, at this stage, our focus is on a measured and timely turnaround. These capabilities enable us and our customers to be ready for upcoming Launch opportunities in under a few weeks. We continue to see strong momentum and maturity in the Indian Space programme and we are confident the ecosystem will grow, as envisioned in the Decadal Vision. However, there was no response from the company on whether the said satellites were insured.In a first, PSLV disappointed foreign customers: handful of foreign satellites lostIn its 33 years of flight, the PSLV has launched well over 350 satellites for Indian and foreign customers. While PSLV has suffered major failures on four occasions(1993, 2017, 2025, 2026), it is only the 2026 failure that has led to the loss of foreign satellites or satellites belonging to customers. The aforementioned failures led to the loss of Indian Government satellites. Notably, PSLV has been launching foreign satellites since the year 1999, when India began commercial spacefaring by launching South Korea's KITSAT-3 and DLR-TUBSAT from Germany. Since then, there has been no looking back for PSLV.Theos-2 satellite, jointly built by Thailand and the UK, Munal satellite for Nepal University, and five satellites from Brazil were lost in the aftermath of the PSLV-C62 failure on Monday. It is not known if these satellites were insured by their respective owners.

In recent years, ISRO has been utilising lesser funds than actually allocated to it, and has been returning excess funds to the Government's coffers.

The mid-flight failure of the Indian space agency ISRO's PSLV-C62 rocket launch mission on Monday, (12th Jan), has led to the loss of 15 satellites from India and abroad. In a major setback to India's national security apparatus, the million-dollar hyperspectral Earth-imaging satellite built by the Government's Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) was also among the satellites destroyed. For the $4 trillion economy behemoth that is the Indian Government, a million-dollar satellite's loss is one loss among a few failed missions in the last 12 months. However, a less discussed aspect is that of six satellites belonging to fledgling Indian startups that have been destroyed in this mission. The question also lingers whether these firms had managed to obtain insurance cover for their little spacecrafts. In comparison, it is known that ISRO does not insure its own rockets and satellites that are launched from home soil. However, ISRO has insured its own satellites when they fly on foreign rockets. The contrast here is stark: The Indian Government Space agency ISRO has been enjoying considerable taxpayer funding since the year 1969. In recent years, ISRO has been utilising lesser funds than actually allocated to it, and has been returning excess funds to the Government's coffers. ISRO also had a monopoly over rocket launches and satellite building until the year 2020. In contrast, India's space startups cropped up over the last five years, after the Government enabled their foray. In what is widely regarded as a risk-averse nation, these startups built by youngsters have been taking a leap of faith into a high-risk, low-return business with zero tolerance for failure. Fuelled by hard-won private funding, these startups are taking baby steps in the highly competitive sector, where India has less than 2 per cent share in the global space economy. It is amid such a scenario that several satellites from Indian startups were hit by the PSLV-C62 failure. WION sought responses from the startups involved to understand what this 'PSLV-C62' launch mission meant to them, the satellite-based technology they intended to demonstrate or operationalise in space, and the impact that this failure may have on their future operations and business. AyulSat from Orbitaid All satellites have a limited lifetime, and that limit is imposed by how much fuel they can carry. When satellites in space run out of fuel, they lose the ability to steer themselves, make minor adjustments to their orbital path, and point in the intended direction. When satellites reach the end of their life, it is predominantly because they run out of fuel. So, what if satellites can be refuelled by another satellite in space? Pretty much like how a large military plane refuels a small fighter jet. AyulSat by Orbitaid was to make a brave attempt in this regard: can liquid fuel be moved from one tank to another in space? "Our 25kg Ayulsat had two fuel tanks. One tank was filled with propane fuel, while the other tank was empty. In the microgravity environment of space, everything floats, including fuel. We wanted to try and transfer the fuel from one tank to another, a feat that's simple on Earth and highly sophisticated while in space. This would have also validated our proprietary Standard Interface Docking and Refuelling Port(SIDRP). AyulSat was also to serve as a target satellite for our future space docking experiment, where two satellites would meet up in space, orient themselves perfectly to get mechanically attached, perform transfer of power, data, and fuel," Sakthikumar, CEO of Orbitaid, explained to this author. Queried about whether the AyulSat satellite was covered by insurance, he said that multiple attempts to obtain insurance from Indian and foreign companies did not materialise. He added that insurance firms are hesitant to provide cover for innovative, experimental first-time satellites built by startups, given the high risk of failure. He also added that the aspect of failure was never discussed with ISRO's commercial arm NSIL, given the stellar record of PSLV. However, he added that the company has a backup plan and hopes to launch two satellites in about 7 months from now to complete the planned space docking experiment. MOI-1 satellite from Eon Space Labs, TakeMe2Space EON Space Labs integrated their advanced multispectral imaging payload MIRA, integrated with MOI-1, a CubeSat, weighing a mere 14 kgs, developed by fellow startup TakeMe2Space. This small craft was to demonstrate the viability of an AI-powered orbital image laboratory. The mission was meant to enable near real-time, in-orbit processing of Earth observation data, significantly lowering data downlink costs. According to Sanjay Kumar, Co-founder of Eon Space Labs, the launch of MIRA aboard MOI-1 was to cause a shift in how Earth observation missions are designed and utilised. Instead of merely capturing images and sending raw data back to Earth like most common satellites, our experimental satellite was to generate insights in orbit. The company did not offer a response to the author's query on whether they had insured the satellite. They said, we are grateful to ISRO for the opportunity to be part of the PSLV-C62 mission. While the result was not what we had hoped for, the learnings from this mission are valuable, and our focus remains firmly on execution and moving forward with clarity and resilience, they added. As for the next mission, the company said they are prioritising MOI-2 as the next flight opportunity, and are targeting a mid-2026 launch to space, using an available launch platform, subject to mission alignment and availability. CGUSAT, DSUSAT, Thybolt-3, LACHIT from Dhruva Space Dhruva Space, a full-stack space engineering company, had contributed towards several small satellites aboard the PSLV-C61. Emphasising that Space missions are inherently complex, Sanjay Nekkanti, CEO & Co-founder, Dhruva Space said, at this stage, our focus is on a measured and timely turnaround. These capabilities enable us and our customers to be ready for upcoming Launch opportunities in under a few weeks. We continue to see strong momentum and maturity in the Indian Space programme and we are confident the ecosystem will grow, as envisioned in the Decadal Vision. However, there was no response from the company on whether the said satellites were insured. In a first, PSLV disappointed foreign customers: handful of foreign satellites lost In its 33 years of flight, the PSLV has launched well over 350 satellites for Indian and foreign customers. While PSLV has suffered major failures on four occasions(1993, 2017, 2025, 2026), it is only the 2026 failure that has led to the loss of foreign satellites or satellites belonging to customers. The aforementioned failures led to the loss of Indian Government satellites. Notably, PSLV has been launching foreign satellites since the year 1999, when India began commercial spacefaring by launching South Korea's KITSAT-3 and DLR-TUBSAT from Germany. Since then, there has been no looking back for PSLV. Theos-2 satellite, jointly built by Thailand and the UK, Munal satellite for Nepal University, and five satellites from Brazil were lost in the aftermath of the PSLV-C62 failure on Monday. It is not known if these satellites were insured by their respective owners.

In recent years, ISRO has been utilising lesser funds than actually allocated to it, and has been returning excess funds to the Government's coffers.

6 satellites of Indian startups doomed in ISRO PSLV failure. Were they insured?

ISRO's PSLV-C62 mission failed due to a third-stage anomaly, prompting the space agency to initiate a detailed Failure Analysis Committee probe mirroring last year's C61 issues.


PSLV-C62 Mission Fails, ISRO Starts Detailed Analysis to Probe Issue

The unprecedented, repeat mid-flight failures of India's PSLV-C61 rocket on May 18, 2025 and the PSLV-C62 rocket on January 12, 2026, are major setbacks to the Indian space agency ISRO and the country's gradually growing space-based surveillance capabilities. Both mid-flight failures of PSLV have led to the loss of million-dollar Earth-imaging satellites meant for strategic use. ISRO's own statistics show that 44 missions have been undertaken between 2017 and 2026, of which five have failed, and all of them are national security missions. Of these five national security mission failures, three of them happened between January 2025 and January 2026. Such recurring patterns of failures in national security-linked missions are a serious cause for concern.&nbsp;&nbsp;It is to be noted that these five failures occurred in rockets and satellite variants or their components that have been operational with ISRO for decades. Going by rocket and satellite cost estimates, these five mission failures in the last nine years would have cost the Indian government a few hundred million dollars, if not more. Further, the government would have to spend the same amount of money once again to redo these missions. Also, one must factor in the cost of the lost opportunities. Because, in the absence of these homegrown strategic satellites, India would have to purchase similar satellite-based services from foreign firms. Having to commit resources to redo failed missions would also considerably slow down India's planned rocket launch missions and the overall pace of executing space launches.&nbsp;As per publicly available information (official data is not available for PSLV-C61 and PSLV C-62), each mission failure over the last nine years was caused by a different component/system. This re-emphasises that rocketry is a zero-error business, where even the smallest of errors or defects can lead to catastrophic failures and immense losses. While such losses offer valuable lessons for future missions, it is also important to note that these failures are delaying deployment of several important space-based capabilities developed by Indian scientists.&nbsp;Here's the list of five Indian strategic space missions that have failed over the last nine years:&nbsp;<h2>January 2026, PSLV-C62/EOS-N1</h2>&nbsp;The PSLV-C62 flight on Monday, (12th Jan 2026), marked PSLV's return to flight after a rare setback during the previous launch in May 2025, and this is also ISRO's first launch of 2026. The primary satellite of this PSLV-C62 mission was the 'EOS-N1' or 'Anvesha', an Earth Observation satellite built by India's Defence Research Development Organization(DRDO). This satellite was to be placed 511kms above the Earth. 'EOS-N1' is a Hyperspectral imaging satellite, which means it can see much more than the human eye or a conventional optical-imaging satellite. As the surface of the Earth gets illuminated by sunlight, different materials(soil, water, metal, vegetation, concrete structure) reflect light, across various wavelengths. A hyperspectral sensor can capture these reflections, classify them and help identify what material it is made of.&nbsp;&nbsp;In addition to 'EOS-N1', there were 15 co-passenger satellites aboard the PSLV-C62. Seven satellites are from India, while two of them are from Europe, five of them are from Brazil, and one from Nepal. Many of these satellites are from academia or startups, and are meant to demonstrate unique experiments in space.&nbsp;&nbsp;Speaking from the spaceport, ISRO Chief, Dr. V. Narayanan said, "We attempted PSLV-C-62 mission. PSLV is a four-stage rocket. The vehicle performance up to almost the end of the third stage was as expected. By the end of third stage, we observed a disturbance in the vehicle, and a deviation was observed in the flight path. We are analyzing the data, we will come back at the earliest." While ISRO did not say it explicitly, the PSLV-C62 rocket and all passenger satellites have been lost due to the mid-flight failure.&nbsp;<h2>May 2025, PSLV-C61/EOS-09</h2>&nbsp;On Sunday, 18th May, barely six minutes after liftoff, ISRO's PSLV-C61 rocket faced trouble mid-flight. "Up to the second stage performance was normal. Third stage ignited, but we made an observation regarding its functioning. Mission could not be accomplished. We are studying the data," said ISRO Chief Dr. V. Narayanan regarding the status of the four-stage PSLV rocket that was supposed to perform an 18-minutes-long mission.EOS-09 is a radar imaging satellite(earlier known as RISAT) that is capable of day and night imaging. It can see through clouds, deliver images under all weather conditions. This 1,700kg satellite was meant to have an operational life of at least five years.&nbsp;Addressing journalists at the spaceport, the ISRO Chief had elaborated on the observations. "The third stage of the PSLV uses a solid-fuel motor system. There was a fall in the chamber pressure in the motor case. We are studying the entire performance," Dr. Narayanan had said.&nbsp;<h2>January 2025, GSLV-F15/NVS-02</h2>&nbsp;With the first-generation of NAVIC satellites nearing their end-of-life, ISRO began replacing it with a heavier series of five satellites known as NVS. NVS-01, the first satellite in this new series was launched successfully in May 2023. The next one, NVS-02 was launched in January 2025, in what was the 100th rocket launch from the Indian spaceport in Sriharikota.&nbsp;While the GSLV rocket accomplished its task of placing the NVS-02 satellite in the initial orbit, the satellite encountered an anomaly, which prevented it from firing its on-board engines and moving to the final orbit. Satellites are moved from one orbit to another by firing their liquid-fuelled engines that burn a fuel and oxidiser combination. In this case, it has not been possible to fire the engine and raise the satellite's orbit, due to an issue with the valve that releases the oxidiser.&nbsp;The satellite was launched into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO), which is usually used as an initial parking orbit for heavy satellites. Approximately, the satellite was launched into an orbit that is highly elliptical- 170kms above Earth at its nearest approach (perigee) and 36,500 km at its farthest approach from Earth (apogee). Typically, a series of engine firings are performed to place the satellite into a circular orbit, where it is evenly 35,700 km above Earth. However, NVS-02 remained stuck in GTO, rendering the satellite unusable for its core purpose.&nbsp;<h2>August 2021, GSLV-F10/EOS-03</h2>&nbsp;Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, ISRO had launched a sophisticated Earth-imaging satellite known as GISAT-1, aboard the GSLV-F10 rocket. GISAT-1 or EOS-3 was an agile earth observation satellite, which can use different types of imaging technologies to provide a constant monitoring of a region of interest/calamity/weather pattern.&nbsp;GISAT-1 was meant to provide almost real-time imaging of large regions of interest at frequent intervals, quick monitoring of natural disasters, episodic events, and also obtain spectral signatures for agriculture, forestry, mineralogy, disaster warning, cloud properties, snow &amp; glaciers, and oceanography.&nbsp;GISAT-1 was meant to stay perched 36,000kms above the Indian subcontinent and help maintain a constant vigil of a large area. This mission was ready for launch in early-2020, but delayed for "technical reasons". Finally, the rocket lifted off on August 12th 2021, but the mission ran into trouble mid-flight, after a malfunction in the Cryogenic upper stage that was meant to place the satellite into orbit. ISRO later revealed that a valve leak in the liquid hydrogen tank led to the failure.&nbsp;<h2>August 2017, PSLV-C39/IRNSS-1H</h2>&nbsp;Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System(IRNSS), later known as Navigation with Indian Constellation(NAVIC) is a Position, Navigation, Timing service meant to be used by the various ministries of the Indian Government and the country's Armed Forces. Simply put, NAVIC is an Indian-made, scaled-down equivalent of Global Positioning System.&nbsp;During the late-night launch of PSLV-C39, all flight events took place exactly as planned, except heat shield separation. This resulted in satellite separation occurring within the heat shield. The satellite remained inside the heat shield resulting in the unsuccessful mission.

ISRO's own statistics show that 44 missions have been undertaken between 2017 and 2026, of which five have failed, and all of them are national security missions.

The unprecedented, repeat mid-flight failures of India's PSLV-C61 rocket on May 18, 2025 and the PSLV-C62 rocket on January 12, 2026, are major setbacks to the Indian space agency ISRO and the country's gradually growing space-based surveillance capabilities. Both mid-flight failures of PSLV have led to the loss of million-dollar Earth-imaging satellites meant for strategic use. ISRO's own statistics show that 44 missions have been undertaken between 2017 and 2026, of which five have failed, and all of them are national security missions. Of these five national security mission failures, three of them happened between January 2025 and January 2026. Such recurring patterns of failures in national security-linked missions are a serious cause for concern. It is to be noted that these five failures occurred in rockets and satellite variants or their components that have been operational with ISRO for decades. Going by rocket and satellite cost estimates, these five mission failures in the last nine years would have cost the Indian government a few hundred million dollars, if not more. Further, the government would have to spend the same amount of money once again to redo these missions. Also, one must factor in the cost of the lost opportunities. Because, in the absence of these homegrown strategic satellites, India would have to purchase similar satellite-based services from foreign firms. Having to commit resources to redo failed missions would also considerably slow down India's planned rocket launch missions and the overall pace of executing space launches. As per publicly available information (official data is not available for PSLV-C61 and PSLV C-62), each mission failure over the last nine years was caused by a different component/system. This re-emphasises that rocketry is a zero-error business, where even the smallest of errors or defects can lead to catastrophic failures and immense losses. While such losses offer valuable lessons for future missions, it is also important to note that these failures are delaying deployment of several important space-based capabilities developed by Indian scientists. Here's the list of five Indian strategic space missions that have failed over the last nine years: January 2026, PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 The PSLV-C62 flight on Monday, (12th Jan 2026), marked PSLV's return to flight after a rare setback during the previous launch in May 2025, and this is also ISRO's first launch of 2026. The primary satellite of this PSLV-C62 mission was the 'EOS-N1' or 'Anvesha', an Earth Observation satellite built by India's Defence Research Development Organization(DRDO). This satellite was to be placed 511kms above the Earth. 'EOS-N1' is a Hyperspectral imaging satellite, which means it can see much more than the human eye or a conventional optical-imaging satellite. As the surface of the Earth gets illuminated by sunlight, different materials(soil, water, metal, vegetation, concrete structure) reflect light, across various wavelengths. A hyperspectral sensor can capture these reflections, classify them and help identify what material it is made of. In addition to 'EOS-N1', there were 15 co-passenger satellites aboard the PSLV-C62. Seven satellites are from India, while two of them are from Europe, five of them are from Brazil, and one from Nepal. Many of these satellites are from academia or startups, and are meant to demonstrate unique experiments in space. Speaking from the spaceport, ISRO Chief, Dr. V. Narayanan said, "We attempted PSLV-C-62 mission. PSLV is a four-stage rocket. The vehicle performance up to almost the end of the third stage was as expected. By the end of third stage, we observed a disturbance in the vehicle, and a deviation was observed in the flight path. We are analyzing the data, we will come back at the earliest." While ISRO did not say it explicitly, the PSLV-C62 rocket and all passenger satellites have been lost due to the mid-flight failure. May 2025, PSLV-C61/EOS-09 On Sunday, 18th May, barely six minutes after liftoff, ISRO's PSLV-C61 rocket faced trouble mid-flight. "Up to the second stage performance was normal. Third stage ignited, but we made an observation regarding its functioning. Mission could not be accomplished. We are studying the data," said ISRO Chief Dr. V. Narayanan regarding the status of the four-stage PSLV rocket that was supposed to perform an 18-minutes-long mission. EOS-09 is a radar imaging satellite(earlier known as RISAT) that is capable of day and night imaging. It can see through clouds, deliver images under all weather conditions. This 1,700kg satellite was meant to have an operational life of at least five years. Addressing journalists at the spaceport, the ISRO Chief had elaborated on the observations. "The third stage of the PSLV uses a solid-fuel motor system. There was a fall in the chamber pressure in the motor case. We are studying the entire performance," Dr. Narayanan had said. January 2025, GSLV-F15/NVS-02 With the first-generation of NAVIC satellites nearing their end-of-life, ISRO began replacing it with a heavier series of five satellites known as NVS. NVS-01, the first satellite in this new series was launched successfully in May 2023. The next one, NVS-02 was launched in January 2025, in what was the 100th rocket launch from the Indian spaceport in Sriharikota. While the GSLV rocket accomplished its task of placing the NVS-02 satellite in the initial orbit, the satellite encountered an anomaly, which prevented it from firing its on-board engines and moving to the final orbit. Satellites are moved from one orbit to another by firing their liquid-fuelled engines that burn a fuel and oxidiser combination. In this case, it has not been possible to fire the engine and raise the satellite's orbit, due to an issue with the valve that releases the oxidiser. The satellite was launched into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO), which is usually used as an initial parking orbit for heavy satellites. Approximately, the satellite was launched into an orbit that is highly elliptical- 170kms above Earth at its nearest approach (perigee) and 36,500 km at its farthest approach from Earth (apogee). Typically, a series of engine firings are performed to place the satellite into a circular orbit, where it is evenly 35,700 km above Earth. However, NVS-02 remained stuck in GTO, rendering the satellite unusable for its core purpose. August 2021, GSLV-F10/EOS-03 Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, ISRO had launched a sophisticated Earth-imaging satellite known as GISAT-1, aboard the GSLV-F10 rocket. GISAT-1 or EOS-3 was an agile earth observation satellite, which can use different types of imaging technologies to provide a constant monitoring of a region of interest/calamity/weather pattern. GISAT-1 was meant to provide almost real-time imaging of large regions of interest at frequent intervals, quick monitoring of natural disasters, episodic events, and also obtain spectral signatures for agriculture, forestry, mineralogy, disaster warning, cloud properties, snow & glaciers, and oceanography. GISAT-1 was meant to stay perched 36,000kms above the Indian subcontinent and help maintain a constant vigil of a large area. This mission was ready for launch in early-2020, but delayed for "technical reasons". Finally, the rocket lifted off on August 12th 2021, but the mission ran into trouble mid-flight, after a malfunction in the Cryogenic upper stage that was meant to place the satellite into orbit. ISRO later revealed that a valve leak in the liquid hydrogen tank led to the failure. August 2017, PSLV-C39/IRNSS-1H Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System(IRNSS), later known as Navigation with Indian Constellation(NAVIC) is a Position, Navigation, Timing service meant to be used by the various ministries of the Indian Government and the country's Armed Forces. Simply put, NAVIC is an Indian-made, scaled-down equivalent of Global Positioning System. During the late-night launch of PSLV-C39, all flight events took place exactly as planned, except heat shield separation. This resulted in satellite separation occurring within the heat shield. The satellite remained inside the heat shield resulting in the unsuccessful mission.

ISRO's own statistics show that 44 missions have been undertaken between 2017 and 2026, of which five have failed, and all of them are national security missions.

3 failures in 12 months: ISRO's troubles with strategic space missions

ISRO's PSLV-C62 lifted off from Sriharikota on January 12, 2026, but suffered a critical third-stage malfunction eight minutes in, causing trajectory deviation and preventing 16 satellites-including DRDO's hyperspectral Anvesha-from reaching orbit.


ISRO PSLV-C62 Fails: Third-Stage Anomaly Dooms Mission 

India's first space mission of 2026 ended in heartbreak as the PSLV-C62 rocket suffered a critical third stage anomaly. Strategic satellites including DRDO's Anvesha are feared lost after the vehicle deviated from its path. PSLV-C62 rocket suffered a critical technical failure.


India: ISRO's First Space Mission Of 2026 Suffers Setback

ISRO launches the PSLV-C62 mission carrying DRDO’s EOS-N1 Anvesha earth observation satellite from Sriharikota, strengthening India’s space-based surveillance and imaging capabilities. 


Breaking: Indian space agency ISRO launches DRDO's strategic-use satellite 

ISRO launches DRDO's strategic-use satellite 'Anvesha' 

Indian Space agency ISRO has commenced a 22-hour countdown for its first launch mission of 2026, the 'PSLV-C62/EOS-N1'. The PSLV rocket, in its 64th&nbsp;flight is expected to liftoff from the first launchpad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at 10:18am IST, Monday, (12th&nbsp;Jan).&nbsp;&nbsp;The&nbsp;countdown&nbsp;is a well-planned technical process during which the final health checks of various systems of the rocket and satellite are carried out, and the liquid-fuel stages of the rocket are tanked up.&nbsp;&nbsp;This flight marks PSLV's return to flight after a rare setback during the previous launch in May 2025. In May 2025, the PSLV rocket suffered a mid-flight failure. The PSLV's third stage malfunction led to the loss of the rocket and the EOS-09 radar imaging satellite. The May 2025 flight marked the third major failure of the PSLV in its 63 flights across 32 years.&nbsp;&nbsp;The primary satellite of this mission is the 'EOS-N1' or 'Anvesha', an Earth Observation satellite built by India's Defence Research Development Organization(DRDO). This satellite is to be placed 511kms above the Earth. 'EOS-N1' is Hyperspectral imaging satellite, which means it can see much more than the human eye or a conventional optical-imaging satellite. As the surface of the Earth gets illuminated, different materials(soil, water, metal, vegetation) reflect light, across various wavelengths. A hyperspectral sensor can capture these reflections and identify how an object appears and what it is made of.&nbsp;&nbsp;This technology has immense civilian and strategic applications, as it can scan the Earth based on unique light signatures. In simple terms, it can identify different materials based on their unique fingerprint(spectral signature).Water quality, soil composition, crop health, are among the environmental aspects that can be studied using this technology. Military targets under camouflage can also be detected, based on the reflection from the material. It can also be used for supporting mining and exploration.In addition to 'EOS-N1', there will be 15 co-passenger satellites aboard the PSLV. Seven satellites are from India, while two of them are from Europe, five of them are from Brazil, and one from Nepal. Many of these satellites are from academia or startups, and are meant to demonstrate unique experiments in space.&nbsp;

This flight marks PSLV's return to flight after a rare setback during the previous launch in May 2025. In May 2025, the PSLV rocket suffered a mid-flight failure.

Indian Space agency ISRO has commenced a 22-hour countdown for its first launch mission of 2026, the 'PSLV-C62/EOS-N1'. The PSLV rocket, in its 64th flight is expected to liftoff from the first launchpad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at 10:18am IST, Monday, (12th Jan). The countdown is a well-planned technical process during which the final health checks of various systems of the rocket and satellite are carried out, and the liquid-fuel stages of the rocket are tanked up. This flight marks PSLV's return to flight after a rare setback during the previous launch in May 2025. In May 2025, the PSLV rocket suffered a mid-flight failure. The PSLV's third stage malfunction led to the loss of the rocket and the EOS-09 radar imaging satellite. The May 2025 flight marked the third major failure of the PSLV in its 63 flights across 32 years. The primary satellite of this mission is the 'EOS-N1' or 'Anvesha', an Earth Observation satellite built by India's Defence Research Development Organization(DRDO). This satellite is to be placed 511kms above the Earth. 'EOS-N1' is Hyperspectral imaging satellite, which means it can see much more than the human eye or a conventional optical-imaging satellite. As the surface of the Earth gets illuminated, different materials(soil, water, metal, vegetation) reflect light, across various wavelengths. A hyperspectral sensor can capture these reflections and identify how an object appears and what it is made of. This technology has immense civilian and strategic applications, as it can scan the Earth based on unique light signatures. In simple terms, it can identify different materials based on their unique fingerprint(spectral signature). Water quality, soil composition, crop health, are among the environmental aspects that can be studied using this technology. Military targets under camouflage can also be detected, based on the reflection from the material. It can also be used for supporting mining and exploration. In addition to 'EOS-N1', there will be 15 co-passenger satellites aboard the PSLV. Seven satellites are from India, while two of them are from Europe, five of them are from Brazil, and one from Nepal. Many of these satellites are from academia or startups, and are meant to demonstrate unique experiments in space.

This flight marks PSLV's return to flight after a rare setback during the previous launch in May 2025. In May 2025, the PSLV rocket suffered a mid-flight failure.

ISRO's PSLV to launch 16 satellites; 22hr countdown starts

Indian space agency ISRO's workhorse PSLV rocket is back on the launchpad for a mission on Monday, (Jan 12). Dubbed 'PSLV-C62', this launch marks PSLV's return to flight after a rare failure in May 2025. Back then, the PSLV's third stage malfunction led to the loss of the rocket and the EOS-09 radar imaging satellite mid-flight. The May 2025 flight marked the third major failure of the PSLV in its 63 flights across 32 years.In what is its first mission of 2026, ISRO has announced that the 'PSLV-C62' vehicle is expected to liftoff from the First launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, at 10:17 am. While the PSLV will be carrying multiple satellites to Earth orbit, its primary satellite will be the EOS-N1 or Anvesha, a hyperspectral Earth-imaging satellite built by DRDO.In addition to the primary satellite, there will be multiple small satellites and experiments that are from India and abroad.<h2>'PSLV C-61' failure in May 2025</h2>On Sunday, 18th May, barely eight minutes after liftoff, ISRO halted its live broadcast of the PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission. "Up to the second stage, performance was normal. Third stage ignited, but we made an observation regarding its functioning. Mission could not be accomplished. We are studying the data," said ISRO Chief Dr V. Narayanan, following the mishap.Addressing journalists at the spaceport, the ISRO Chief had elaborated on the observations. "The third stage of the PSLV uses a solid-fuel motor system. There was a fall in the chamber pressure in the motor case. We are studying the entire performance," the ISRO Chief had said in May.<h2>PSLV-C61 Failure Analysis Committee report yet to be made public</h2>As a taxpayer-funded civilian space agency founded with the ideals of serving the people of India, ISRO has made public the Failure Analysis Committee(FAC) reports. These FAC reports are typically readied by in-house experts within a few months of the failure.However, the FAC report related to the May 2025 PSLV-C61 has not been publicly released so far. &nbsp;Likewise, the FAC report pertaining to the failure of the NVS-02 satellite in January 2025 remains unreleased to the public. This is widely seen as a departure from the "ISRO culture". However, both these FAC reports are learnt to have been tabled before the Government of India.Given ISRO's role in launching foreign satellites belonging to governments and private firms, FAC reports being made public are crucial for maintaining transparency and re-establishing confidence.

In what is its first mission of 2026, ISRO has announced that the 'PSLV-C62' vehicle is expected to liftoff from the First launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, at 10:17 am on Jan 12. 

Indian space agency ISRO's workhorse PSLV rocket is back on the launchpad for a mission on Monday, (Jan 12). Dubbed 'PSLV-C62', this launch marks PSLV's return to flight after a rare failure in May 2025. Back then, the PSLV's third stage malfunction led to the loss of the rocket and the EOS-09 radar imaging satellite mid-flight. The May 2025 flight marked the third major failure of the PSLV in its 63 flights across 32 years. In what is its first mission of 2026, ISRO has announced that the 'PSLV-C62' vehicle is expected to liftoff from the First launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, at 10:17 am. While the PSLV will be carrying multiple satellites to Earth orbit, its primary satellite will be the EOS-N1 or Anvesha, a hyperspectral Earth-imaging satellite built by DRDO. In addition to the primary satellite, there will be multiple small satellites and experiments that are from India and abroad. 'PSLV C-61' failure in May 2025 On Sunday, 18th May, barely eight minutes after liftoff, ISRO halted its live broadcast of the PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission. "Up to the second stage, performance was normal. Third stage ignited, but we made an observation regarding its functioning. Mission could not be accomplished. We are studying the data," said ISRO Chief Dr V. Narayanan, following the mishap. Addressing journalists at the spaceport, the ISRO Chief had elaborated on the observations. "The third stage of the PSLV uses a solid-fuel motor system. There was a fall in the chamber pressure in the motor case. We are studying the entire performance," the ISRO Chief had said in May. PSLV-C61 Failure Analysis Committee report yet to be made public As a taxpayer-funded civilian space agency founded with the ideals of serving the people of India, ISRO has made public the Failure Analysis Committee(FAC) reports. These FAC reports are typically readied by in-house experts within a few months of the failure. However, the FAC report related to the May 2025 PSLV-C61 has not been publicly released so far. Likewise, the FAC report pertaining to the failure of the NVS-02 satellite in January 2025 remains unreleased to the public. This is widely seen as a departure from the "ISRO culture". However, both these FAC reports are learnt to have been tabled before the Government of India. Given ISRO's role in launching foreign satellites belonging to governments and private firms, FAC reports being made public are crucial for maintaining transparency and re-establishing confidence.

In what is its first mission of 2026, ISRO has announced that the 'PSLV-C62' vehicle is expected to liftoff from the First launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, at 10:17 am on Jan 12.&nbsp;

After rare May 2025 failure, ISRO's PSLV to fly on Jan 12th

ISRO’s LVM3 M6 rocket successfully launches the BlueBird Block-2 satellite into orbit for U.S.-based AST SpaceMobile, advancing global space-based connectivity.


ISRO: LVM3-M6 lifts off with its heaviest payload ever

ISRO’s LVM3 M6 rocket successfully launches the BlueBird Block-2 satellite into orbit for U.S.-based AST SpaceMobile, advancing global space-based connectivity.

Rocket Expert India Launches Heaviest Satellite as Other Countries Flop

LVM3-M6 lifts off, ISRO chief hails the successful launch from Sriharikota

ISRO chief: LVM3 can carry up to 9,200 kg to low Earth orbit

India launches heaviest satellite ever on LVM3 rocket

Think about the last time you felt truly proud to be Indian. Maybe it was during a cricket match, or when you saw our flag at the Olympics. But this year, 2025, has given us so many more reasons to feel that pride—and it all happened thousands of kilometers above our heads, in the vastness of space.&nbsp;Just this morning, December 24, 2025, while most of us were preparing for the day, ISRO launched something absolutely massive into space. The BlueBird 6 satellite weighs 6,500 kilograms—imagine lifting three full-sized cars and throwing them into orbit! What makes this even more incredible is what it can do. This satellite can beam internet directly to your smartphone, even if you are trekking in Ladakh or traveling through the deserts of Rajasthan where there are no mobile towers. High-speed 4G and 5G, available anywhere in India. That is not science fiction anymore—it is our reality now.&nbsp;But let me take you back to where this amazing year really began. On January 16, 2025, ISRO did something that only three other countries had ever managed. They launched two small spacecraft on December 30, 2024, and made them "dock" in space—basically, they made two machines traveling at 28,000 kilometers per hour connect perfectly, like threading a needle while riding a bullet train. Why does this matter? Because without this technology, we cannot build our own space station. And yes, India is planning its own space station (Bharatiya Antariksh Station) by 2047. The SpaDeX mission did not stop there. By April 21, one satellite was even transferring power to another in space. We are not just reaching space anymore; we are learning how to live and work there.&nbsp;Here is something that might sound strange: ISRO sent cowpea seeds to space in the CROPS-1 experiment. Within 90 minutes of adding water, they started germinating. By day five, tiny green leaves appeared. Why would anyone grow plants in space? Because if we are going to Mars or building a Moon base, we need to know if we can grow our own food. Now we know—Indian crops can survive in space. This year, we also looked closely at our own planet. ISRO satellites helped farmers by forecasting that India would produce 122.724 million tonnes of wheat by March 31, 2025, helping the government plan for food security.&nbsp;On January 29, 2025, ISRO reached a historic milestone by completing its 100th launch from Sriharikota. One hundred times our rockets have pierced through the clouds, carrying dreams and technology into orbit. While some missions faced technical challenges, like the satellite valve issues after the January 29 launch, every mission taught us something valuable. On March 4, 2025, our POEM-4 platform completed 1,000 orbits, carrying a record 24 different experiments, including space robotics and AI.&nbsp;For those of you interested in engineering, March 5, 2025, was a big day. ISRO unveiled two microprocessors—VIKRAM3201 and KALPANA3201—designed and made entirely in India. These are the computer "brains" that will control our future rockets. Later, on March 27, we finished a 1,000-hour test of an "Electric Engine" that is six times more efficient than traditional rocket fuel. This means future satellites can stay in space much longer.The most emotional moment came on June 25, 2025, when Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS). For 18 days, he lived among the stars, conducting experiments on how muscles and plants behave in zero gravity. On June 28, he spoke to our Prime Minister from space, and on July 3, he talked to school students, showing them that the kid sitting in their classroom today could one day float in space too.&nbsp;Speaking of Gaganyaan—India’s dream of sending our own astronauts to space—the preparations are intense. A crew capsule uses 10 different parachutes to land safely. ISRO tested them by dropping a simulated module from a helicopter on August 24, 2025. Then, on December 18-19, just last week, they successfully tested the "drogue" parachutes using rocket sleds in Chandigarh. These tests are about one thing: bringing our astronauts back home safely to their families.&nbsp;ISRO also proved that space is now open for everyone. On August 8, they tested a rocket motor for Skyroot Aerospace, a private startup. On September 10, they signed an agreement with HAL to produce rockets commercially. Even more exciting, from April to December, over 700 students from Northeast India visited ISRO centers to see where history is made. They met scientists who studied in regular schools and faced the same board exams you do.&nbsp;Other massive highlights include the July 30 launch of NISAR, a joint mission with NASA to scan Earth for earthquakes and disasters, and the July 31 inauguration of the HOPE mission in Ladakh, where scientists are living in extreme cold to prepare for life on Mars. On November 2, ISRO launched CMS-03, the heaviest satellite we ever sent to its high orbit from Indian soil, using a cryogenic engine that was restarted while in space—a feat only a few nations can do.&nbsp;As I write this, looking at today's successful BlueBird 6 launch, it is clear we are living through something extraordinary. Every time an Indian rocket lifts off, it carries our ambitions and our refusal to be left behind. Somewhere in India right now, a teenager is looking up at the night sky and dreaming. Thanks to ISRO’s remarkable 2025, that dream does not seem impossible anymore. It seems inevitable. Could the next great scientist or astronaut be you?&nbsp;KEY DATES TO REMEMBER:Jan 6: Aditya-L1 Sun mission data releasedJan 16: Successful Space Docking (The Space Handshake)Jan 29: 100th Launch from SriharikotaMar 5: First Made-in-India space microprocessors unveiledJun 25: First Indian visits the International Space StationJul 30: NISAR (India-NASA) satellite launchAug 24: Gaganyaan major parachute air drop testDec 18-19: Final safety tests for Gaganyaan parachutesDec 24: BlueBird 6 launch (Heaviest commercial satellite)

Every time an Indian rocket lifts off, it carries our ambitions and our refusal to be left behind. Somewhere in India right now, a teenager is looking up at the night sky and dreaming. Thanks to ISRO’s remarkable 2025, that dream does not seem impossible anymore. 

Think about the last time you felt truly proud to be Indian. Maybe it was during a cricket match, or when you saw our flag at the Olympics. But this year, 2025, has given us so many more reasons to feel that pride—and it all happened thousands of kilometers above our heads, in the vastness of space. Just this morning, December 24, 2025, while most of us were preparing for the day, ISRO launched something absolutely massive into space. The BlueBird 6 satellite weighs 6,500 kilograms—imagine lifting three full-sized cars and throwing them into orbit! What makes this even more incredible is what it can do. This satellite can beam internet directly to your smartphone, even if you are trekking in Ladakh or traveling through the deserts of Rajasthan where there are no mobile towers. High-speed 4G and 5G, available anywhere in India. That is not science fiction anymore—it is our reality now. But let me take you back to where this amazing year really began. On January 16, 2025, ISRO did something that only three other countries had ever managed. They launched two small spacecraft on December 30, 2024, and made them "dock" in space—basically, they made two machines traveling at 28,000 kilometers per hour connect perfectly, like threading a needle while riding a bullet train. Why does this matter? Because without this technology, we cannot build our own space station. And yes, India is planning its own space station (Bharatiya Antariksh Station) by 2047. The SpaDeX mission did not stop there. By April 21, one satellite was even transferring power to another in space. We are not just reaching space anymore; we are learning how to live and work there. Here is something that might sound strange: ISRO sent cowpea seeds to space in the CROPS-1 experiment. Within 90 minutes of adding water, they started germinating. By day five, tiny green leaves appeared. Why would anyone grow plants in space? Because if we are going to Mars or building a Moon base, we need to know if we can grow our own food. Now we know—Indian crops can survive in space. This year, we also looked closely at our own planet. ISRO satellites helped farmers by forecasting that India would produce 122.724 million tonnes of wheat by March 31, 2025, helping the government plan for food security. On January 29, 2025, ISRO reached a historic milestone by completing its 100th launch from Sriharikota. One hundred times our rockets have pierced through the clouds, carrying dreams and technology into orbit. While some missions faced technical challenges, like the satellite valve issues after the January 29 launch, every mission taught us something valuable. On March 4, 2025, our POEM-4 platform completed 1,000 orbits, carrying a record 24 different experiments, including space robotics and AI. For those of you interested in engineering, March 5, 2025, was a big day. ISRO unveiled two microprocessors—VIKRAM3201 and KALPANA3201—designed and made entirely in India. These are the computer "brains" that will control our future rockets. Later, on March 27, we finished a 1,000-hour test of an "Electric Engine" that is six times more efficient than traditional rocket fuel. This means future satellites can stay in space much longer. The most emotional moment came on June 25, 2025, when Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS). For 18 days, he lived among the stars, conducting experiments on how muscles and plants behave in zero gravity. On June 28, he spoke to our Prime Minister from space, and on July 3, he talked to school students, showing them that the kid sitting in their classroom today could one day float in space too. Speaking of Gaganyaan—India’s dream of sending our own astronauts to space—the preparations are intense. A crew capsule uses 10 different parachutes to land safely. ISRO tested them by dropping a simulated module from a helicopter on August 24, 2025. Then, on December 18-19, just last week, they successfully tested the "drogue" parachutes using rocket sleds in Chandigarh. These tests are about one thing: bringing our astronauts back home safely to their families. ISRO also proved that space is now open for everyone. On August 8, they tested a rocket motor for Skyroot Aerospace, a private startup. On September 10, they signed an agreement with HAL to produce rockets commercially. Even more exciting, from April to December, over 700 students from Northeast India visited ISRO centers to see where history is made. They met scientists who studied in regular schools and faced the same board exams you do. Other massive highlights include the July 30 launch of NISAR, a joint mission with NASA to scan Earth for earthquakes and disasters, and the July 31 inauguration of the HOPE mission in Ladakh, where scientists are living in extreme cold to prepare for life on Mars. On November 2, ISRO launched CMS-03, the heaviest satellite we ever sent to its high orbit from Indian soil, using a cryogenic engine that was restarted while in space—a feat only a few nations can do. As I write this, looking at today's successful BlueBird 6 launch, it is clear we are living through something extraordinary. Every time an Indian rocket lifts off, it carries our ambitions and our refusal to be left behind. Somewhere in India right now, a teenager is looking up at the night sky and dreaming. Thanks to ISRO’s remarkable 2025, that dream does not seem impossible anymore. It seems inevitable. Could the next great scientist or astronaut be you? KEY DATES TO REMEMBER: Jan 6: Aditya-L1 Sun mission data released Jan 16: Successful Space Docking (The Space Handshake) Jan 29: 100th Launch from Sriharikota Mar 5: First Made-in-India space microprocessors unveiled Jun 25: First Indian visits the International Space Station Jul 30: NISAR (India-NASA) satellite launch Aug 24: Gaganyaan major parachute air drop test Dec 18-19: Final safety tests for Gaganyaan parachutes Dec 24: BlueBird 6 launch (Heaviest commercial satellite)

Every time an Indian rocket lifts off, it carries our ambitions and our refusal to be left behind. Somewhere in India right now, a teenager is looking up at the night sky and dreaming. Thanks to ISRO’s remarkable 2025, that dream does not seem impossible anymore.&nbsp;

The year India touched the sky: How ISRO redefined our future in 2025

BlueBird Satellite: India’s ISRO Rockets BlueBird Block-2 Satellite for AST SpaceMobile

ISRO Launches LVM3 M6 with BlueBird Block-2 Satellite for AST SpaceMobile

ISRO undertakes its first commercial mission for a U.S. firm, marking a major milestone in India’s space journey. Touted as ISRO’s most powerful mission yet, the launch highlights India’s growing role in the global commercial space market.

ISRO's First Commercial Mission for US Firm | ISRO's Most Powerful Mission Yet

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched the United States’ AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite. It was launched at 8:55 AM today from the Second Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.


Breaking: Indian Space Agency's 5th and Final Rocket Launch of 2025

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