ISRO's Ambitious Launch Roadmap: Forging India's Spacefront

ISRO is preparing for an active year with plans for seven launches before the fiscal year ends. It targets increasing spacecraft production and preparing India’s first human spaceflight. The Chandrayaan-4, LUPEX missions, and a future Indian Space Station are highlights of this ambitious endeavor.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up for a robust period of activity, with plans to complete seven more rocket launches by the end of the financial year, as revealed by chairman V Narayanan in an exclusive interview with PTI. A pivotal highlight is the countdown to India's first human spaceflight, targeted for 2027.

ISRO is setting its sights on multiple objectives, including the launch of Chandrayaan-4, designed to be India's most complex lunar mission, and the LUPEX mission in collaboration with Japan's JAXA. This mission aims to study lunar water ice. Simultaneously, plans are in place for an Indian Space Station, anticipated to be completed by 2035.

With aspirations to bolster India's stake in the global space economy, ISRO aims to expand its share to 8 per cent by 2030, fueled by increased private sector involvement following 2020's regulatory reforms. This initiative has already seen over 450 industries and 330 startups becoming active in the country's space ecosystem.

(With inputs from agencies.)