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ISRO’s PSLV-C62 mission faced an anomaly near the end of its third stage after lifting off from Sriharikota, prompting a detailed analysis by the space agency.

ISRO's PSLV-C62 Mission Faces Anomaly During Third Stage

PSLV-C62 Anomaly: ISRO Investigates Deviations

ISRO&rsquo;s PSLV-C62 mission faced an anomaly near the end of its third stage after lifting off from Sriharikota, prompting a detailed analysis by the space agency.

ISRO's PSLV-C62 rocket carrying 16 satellites, including a foreign Earth Observation satellite, "encountered an anomaly", the space agency said on Monday, signalling the failure of the mission.
Disturbances in the rocket and later deviation from flight path was observed when strap-on motors were providing thrust during the flight's third stage to propel the vehicle to the intended altitude, space agency chairman V Narayanan said adding a detailed analysis has been initiated to identify the cause.
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh |on PSLV-C62 mission, ISRO Chief V Narayanan says,"Today, we have attempted the PSLV C62 / EOS - N1 Mission...There is a deviation observed in the vehicle flight path. The mission could not proceed in the expected path. We are going through&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/Ai3JdxKrMN">https://t.co/Ai3JdxKrMN</a> <a href="https://t.co/zUxKoRGnt6">pic.twitter.com/zUxKoRGnt6</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/2010589879038804275?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The mission of placing the satellites in the intended orbit could not be achieved and all the 16 satellites were lost.&nbsp;
This is the second consecutive mission failure for the PSLV as a similar, previous attempt in May 2025 (PSLV-C61-EOS-09) also did not succeed.
As the 22.5-hour countdown concluded, the 44.4 metre tall four-stage rocket lifted off as scheduled at 10.18 am from the spaceport in Sriharikota. The mission was to deploy a primary Earth Observation satellite and multiple co-passenger satellites into a 512 km Sun-Synchronous Orbit, after a flight journey of about 17 minutes.
The automatic launch sequence commenced following approval from the mission director. ISRO scientists provided real-time updates as the vehicle ascended. The initial phases of the flight proceeded according to plan.
However, after the announcement that the "third stage ignited", an uneasy calm took over the Mission Control Centre.&nbsp;
In his address at the centre, Narayanan said, "The PSLV is a four-stage vehicle with two solid stages and two liquid stages. The performance of the vehicle up to the end of the third stage was expected. Close to the end of the third stage we are seeing more disturbance in the vehicle and subsequently, there was a deviation observed in the flight path."&nbsp;
Confirming the mission's failure on its 'X' handle, ISRO said, "The PSLV-C62 mission encountered an anomaly during the end of PS3 (third stage) of the vehicle. A detailed analysis has been initiated."
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The PSLV-C62 mission encountered an anomaly during end of the PS3 stage. A detailed analysis has been initiated.
&mdash; ISRO (@isro) <a href="https://twitter.com/isro/status/2010582403732132185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
However, the space agency did not provide more details.
Later, in a brief press conference, Narayanan, who is also the Secretary of Department of Space, said, "As all of you are aware, today we attempted PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 mission... the mission could not proceed in the expected (flight) path. That is the information right now available."&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | ISRO Chief V Narayanan says," Today we have attempted the PSLV C62 / EOS - N1 Mission. The PSLV vehicle is a four stage vehicle with two solid stages and two liquid stages. The performance of the vehicle close to the end of third stage was as expected. Close to the end&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/buC7aSDYw4">pic.twitter.com/buC7aSDYw4</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/2010585872509612182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Further, he said: "We are going through the data and with the data collected from all the ground stations and once the data analysis is completed, we shall come back to you."&nbsp;

ISRO’s PSLV-C62 successfully lifted off from Sriharikota carrying an earth observation satellite and 14 commercial payloads, marking the first mission of the year with a planned Sun Synchronous Orbit insertion.

ISRO's PSLV-C62 lifts off with earth observation satellite, 14 other payloads

ISRO&rsquo;s PSLV-C62 successfully lifted off from Sriharikota carrying an earth observation satellite and 14 commercial payloads, marking the first mission of the year with a planned Sun Synchronous Orbit insertion.

ISRO's trusted workhorse PSLV lifted off from the spaceport in Sriharikota on Monday, carrying an earth observation satellite along with 14 other commercial payloads for both domestic and overseas customers.&nbsp;
Marking the first launch of the year, the mission is part of the contract secured by NewSpace India Ltd, the commercial arm of ISRO. The 44.4 metre tall four-stage PSLV-C62 rocket soared from the first launch pad at a prefixed time of 10.18 hours on Monday.&nbsp;
After a journey of 17 minutes, it is expected to place the satellites into Sun Synchronous Orbit at an altitude of about 511 km. After the separation of all the satellites, scientists would restart the fourth stage (PS4) of the rocket to de-boost and enter a re-entry trajectory for the separation of the last satellite, the Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator (KID) capsule.&nbsp;
This process is expected to last over two hours after lift-off. Both the PS4 stage and the KID capsule would re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and make a splashdown in the South Pacific Ocean, ISRO said.&nbsp;

ISRO is set to launch PSLV-C62 from Sriharikota on January 12, 2026, carrying the DRDO-built EOS-N1 satellite along with 17 commercial payloads from India and abroad.

ISRO to kick off 2026 with PSLV-C62 launch on Jan 12

ISRO is set to launch PSLV-C62 from Sriharikota on January 12, 2026, carrying the DRDO-built EOS-N1 satellite along with 17 commercial payloads from India and abroad.

ISRO is gearing up for its first launch of the new year with the PSLV-C62 mission on January 12 from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;
According to an ISRO official, the primary payload of the mission is the EOS-N1, an imaging satellite built for strategic purposes by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.&nbsp;
"The Launch of PSLV-C62 Mission is scheduled on 12 January 2026 at 10:17 hrs IST from First Launch Pad (FLP), SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota," ISRO said in a post on 'X'.&nbsp;
The rocket will also carry a small probe device, Kestrel Initial Demonstrator (KID), developed by a Spanish-based startup, and will remain attached to the PS-4 stage, they said.&nbsp;
As many as 17 other commercial payloads from startups and research institutions across India, Mauritius, Luxembourg, the UAE, Singapore, Europe, and the United States are also manifested for this flight, sources said.&nbsp;
The post further said that the public can witness the launch from Launch View Gallery at SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota by registering through online: lvg.shar.gov.in.&nbsp;
The Indian space agency has asked visitors to keep their Aadhar card or driving license or any government-issued ID, mobile number and email ID ready for a hassle-free and quick registration process.

ISRO has successfully conducted a static test of an improved third stage of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle at Sriharikota, enhancing payload capacity and qualifying the upgraded motor for flight.

ISRO Tests Enhanced SSLV Stage Successfully in Sriharikota

ISRO Successfully Tests Enhanced SSLV Stage

ISRO has successfully conducted a static test of an improved third stage of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle at Sriharikota, enhancing payload capacity and qualifying the upgraded motor for flight.

ISRO has carried out a successful static test of an improved version of the third stage of SSLV at the Solid Motor Static Test Facility of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the test was conducted on Tuesday.
The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is a three-stage all-solid launch vehicle developed by ISRO, which is amenable to industrial production and can meet launch-on-demand with a quick turnaround time between launches, ISRO said in a statement.
"The upper stage or third stage solid motor delivers as high as 4 km/s velocity to the launch vehicle and employs a monolithic composite motor case and a free-standing nozzle divergent to limit the stage inert mass," it added.
The space agency said the static test validated an improved version of Stage 3 of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SS3) with a carbon-epoxy motor case, which has significantly reduced the mass of the stage, thereby improving the payload performance of SSLV by 90 kg.
"The stage also features an improved design for the igniter and nozzle system, making the system more efficient and robust. The nozzle control is implemented through a fault-tolerant electro-mechanical actuation system with low-power control electronics," ISRO explained.
It added that the high-strength carbon filament-wound motor case was realised at the Composites Entity of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and the solid motor was cast at the Solid Motor production facilities at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC).
"All the measured parameters are observed close to predictions over the test duration of 108 seconds. With this successful static firing test, the improved version of the SS3 motor is qualified for induction in flight," the statement read.
According to ISRO, this year, multiple facilities have been commissioned in the country to enhance the capacity of realising solid motors for the space programme.
In July 2025, Solid Motor production facilities were commissioned at Sriharikota to augment the capacity.
Further, a second production line for Ammonium Perchlorate was commissioned in September 2025 at the Ammonium Perchlorate Plant at Alwaye to double the production capacity of the key ingredient required for the solid motors, the statement said.
An indigenous 10-tonne vertical mixer for the solid motor production line was commissioned this year at SDSC, which is the world's largest solid propellant mixing equipment.
The Solid Motor Production and Static Testing (SMPST) facilities at SDSC have also realised and static tested the solid motor for the first orbital launch of a launch vehicle developed by an Indian Space Start-up.

ISRO successfully launched its heaviest communication satellite CMS-03, weighing 4,410 kg, on the LVM3-M5 ‘Bahubali’ rocket from Sriharikota, marking a major step in India’s self-reliant space capabilities.

ISRO scripts history as 'Bahubali' rocket injects heaviest satellite in orbit

ISRO successfully launched its heaviest communication satellite CMS-03, weighing 4,410 kg, on the LVM3-M5 &lsquo;Bahubali&rsquo; rocket from Sriharikota, marking a major step in India&rsquo;s self-reliant space capabilities.

In a historic Christmas Eve mission, ISRO's heaviest rocket, LVM3-M6, successfully placed a heavy US communication satellite into orbit on Wednesday, a feat described by the space agency chief as a season's gift to the country.
The 6,100 kg BlueBird Block-2 satellite is part of a constellation of global Low Earth Orbit (LEO) mission to provide direct-to-mobile connectivity through satellite that would enable 4G and 5G voice and video calls, texts, streaming and data for everyone, everywhere at all times.
ISRO said the LVM3-M6, nicknamed 'Bahubali' for its heavy-lift capability, injected the satellite into its intended orbit in a textbook launch. LVM3-M6 carried the communication satellite as part of a commercial deal between NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) and US-based AST SpaceMobile (AST and Science, LLC). NewSpace India is the commercial arm of the ISRO.
On Wednesday, the 43.5 metre tall rocket soared majestically at 8.55 am from the second launch pad here at the end of a 24-hour countdown. After a flight journey of about 15 minutes, the spacecraft got separated from the launch vehicle and it was successfully placed into the orbit, bringing all-round cheers in the Mission Control Centre here.
On the successful launch, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said, "I am extremely happy to say that the LVM3M6 Bahubali rocket has successfully placed the Bluebird Block-2 satellite into the intended orbit. Let me congratulate NewSpace India and AST Space Mobile on the outstanding achievement."
The satellite was placed in a 518 km circular orbit against the planned 520 km altitude, he said, describing it as a "textbook launch". The LVM3 rocket has demonstrated its 100 per cent success rate, he added.
Weighing 6,100 kg, the communication satellite is the heaviest payload to be placed into the LEO in LVM3 launch history from Indian soil, the space agency said. The previous heaviest was the LVM3-M5 Communication Satellite 03, weighing about 4,400 kg, which was successfully launched by ISRO on November 2 in the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
According to Narayanan, this is the first time ISRO has launched two LVM3 rockets within just 52 days, following the earlier successful mission on November 2. Addressing his team from the Mission Control Centre post the launch, he thanked them for one of the finest performances of any rocket and said this mission brings India's total to 434 satellites launched for 34 countries.
"The reward for hard work is more work, and we have a lot of programmes on hand," he remarked. Narayanan hailed the successful launch of the Bluebird Block-2 satellite as a "New Year and Christmas gift to Bharat." He reflected on a year of achievements, driven by high-stakes missions such as the NISAR mission, taken up with NASA, CMS-03 and the latest mission.
On the ambitious Gaganyaan mission, he said, "We have to accomplish uncrewed missions, and we are getting towards that." With the industrial consortium fully prepared, Narayanan, who is also the Secretary of Department of Space, said another launch from an Indian startup is scheduled in just a few weeks.
Already, the developmental phase of small satellite launch vehicles (SSLVs) is completed, and "we are going to start the operational phase of SSLVs," he said. One of the important commitments made by the central government is the commission of navigation satellites.
"That satellite series we are going to continue and we are going to start placing them in the intended orbit," he said. Wednesday's mission is aimed at deploying the next-generation communication satellite designed to provide high-speed cellular broadband directly to smartphones.
AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network, which is accessible directly by smartphones and designed for both commercial and government applications.
The LVM3-M6, also known as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-MkIII), is a three-stage rocket with a cryogenic engine designed and developed by ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre. The vehicle uses two S200 solid rocket boosters to provide the huge amount of thrust required for the lift-off. The booster has been developed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.
According to AST SpaceMobile, it has launched five satellites, Bluebird 1-5, in September 2024, which provide continuous coverage across the United States and other select countries. The company has planned to launch similar satellites to augment its network support and has partnered with over 50 mobile operators across the globe.
The LVM3-M6 is the sixth operational flight of LVM3 and third dedicated commercial mission to launch the Bluebird Block-2 spacecraft. The LVM3 has a spectacular pedigree of completing eight consecutive successful launches, including the ambitious Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 missions, the space agency said.

ISRO successfully placed the 6,100 kg BlueBird Block-2 satellite into Low Earth Orbit using its LVM3-M6 rocket, marking the heaviest payload in LVM3 history and enabling global direct-to-mobile 4G and 5G connectivity.

ISRO's LVM3 rocket places US communication satellite into low earth orbit

ISRO successfully placed the 6,100 kg BlueBird Block-2 satellite into Low Earth Orbit using its LVM3-M6 rocket, marking the heaviest payload in LVM3 history and enabling global direct-to-mobile 4G and 5G connectivity.

In a historic Christmas Eve mission, ISRO's heaviest rocket, LVM3-M6, successfully placed a US communication satellite into orbit on Wednesday.&nbsp;
The Bengaluru-headquartered space agency said the LVM3-M6 has successfully placed the BlueBird Block-2 satellite into its intended orbit.
The Bluebird Block-2 mission is part of a global LEO (Low Earth Orbit) constellation to provide direct-to-mobile connectivity through satellite. This constellation would enable 4G and 5G voice and video calls, texts, streaming and data for everyone, everywhere at all times.
LVM3-M6, also known as 'Bahubali', carried the communication satellite as part of a commercial deal between NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) and US-based AST SpaceMobile (AST and Science, LLC). NewSpace India is the commercial arm of ISRO.
The 43.5 metre tall rocket soared majestically at 8.54 am from the second launch pad here on Wednesday. After a flight journey of about 15 minutes, the spacecraft Bluebird Block-2 got separated from the vehicle and it was successfully placed into orbit.
On the successful launch, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said, "I am extremely happy to say that the LVM3M6 'Bahubali' rocket has successfully placed the Bluebird-Block 2 satellite into the intended orbit. Let me congratulate NewSpace India and AST Space Mobile on the outstanding achievement."
The satellite was placed in a 518 km circular orbit against the planned 520 km altitude, he said, describing it as a "textbook launch". The LVM3 rocket has demonstrated its 100 per cent success rate, he said.
According to Narayanan, this is the first time ISRO has launched two LVM3 rockets within just 52 days, following the successful M5 mission on November 2. Addressing his team from the Mission Control Centre, he thanked them for one of the finest performances of any launch vehicle and said this mission brings India's total to 434 satellites launched for 34 countries.
"The reward for hard work is more work, and we have a lot of programmes on hand," he remarked. The ISRO chairman hailed the successful launch of the Bluebird Block-2 satellite as a "New Year and Christmas gift to Bharat."
He reflected on a year of achievements, driven by high-stakes missions such as the NISAR mission, CMS-03 and the Bluebird Block-2 mission.
On the ambitious Gaganyaan mission, he said, "We have to accomplish uncrewed missions, and we are getting towards that." With the industrial consortium fully prepared, Narayanan, who is also the Secretary of Department of Space, said another launch from an Indian startup is scheduled in just a few weeks.
Already, the developmental phase of small satellite launch vehicles (SSLVs) is completed, and we are going to start the operational phase of SSLVs, he said. One of the important commitments made by the central government is the commission of navigation satellites.
"That satellite series we are going to continue and we are going to start placing them in the intended orbit," he said.
Weighing 6,100 kg, the communication satellite would be the heaviest payload to be placed into the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in LVM3 launch history from Indian soil, the space agency said. The previous heaviest was the LVM3-M5 Communication Satellite 03, weighing about 4,400 kg that was successfully launched by ISRO on November 2 in the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
The mission is aimed at deploying the next-generation communication satellite designed to provide high-speed cellular broadband directly to smartphones. AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network, which is accessible directly by smartphones and designed for both commercial and government applications.
The LVM3-M6, also known as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-MkIII), is a three-stage rocket with a cryogenic engine designed and developed by ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre.
The vehicle uses two S200 solid rocket boosters to provide the huge amount of thrust required for lift off. The booster has been developed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.
According to AST SpaceMobile, it has launched five satellites, Bluebird 1-5, in September 2024, which provide continuous coverage across the United States and other select countries. The company has planned to launch similar satellites to augment its network support and has partnered with over 50 mobile operators across the globe.
The LVM3-M6 is the sixth operational flight of LVM3 and third dedicated commercial mission to launch the Bluebird Block-2 spacecraft. The LVM3 has a spectacular pedigree of completing eight consecutive successful launches including the ambitious Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 missions, ISRO said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO for successfully placing the heaviest satellite BlueBird Block-2 in orbit using LVM3, highlighting India’s growing role in global commercial space and preparations for Gaganyaan.

PM Modi Applauds ISRO for LVM3 Launch of Heaviest Satellite

India Bolsters Space Strength with LVM3 Launch

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO for successfully placing the heaviest satellite BlueBird Block-2 in orbit using LVM3, highlighting India&rsquo;s growing role in global commercial space and preparations for Gaganyaan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated ISRO for placing the heaviest satellite in orbit from India using the LVM3 rocket and strengthening the foundation for future missions such as the Gaganyaan.&nbsp;
The prime minister also said that the success of the heavy-lift LVM3 rocket also reinforced India's growing role in the global commercial launch market.&nbsp;
ISRO's LVM3 rocket places the 6.5 tonne Bluebird Block 2 satellite of US-based form AST Space Mobile into a 520 km circular orbit.&nbsp;
"A significant stride in India's space sector. The successful LVM3-M6 launch, placing the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil, the spacecraft of USA, BlueBird Block-2, into its intended orbit, marks a proud milestone in India's space journey," PM Modi said in a post on X.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Powered by India&rsquo;s youth, our space programme is getting more advanced and impactful. With LVM3 demonstrating reliable heavy-lift performance, we are strengthening the foundations for future missions such as Gaganyaan, expanding commercial launch services and deepening global&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/f53SiUXyZr">pic.twitter.com/f53SiUXyZr</a>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/2003681952323502169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
"It strengthens India's heavy-lift launch capability and reinforces our growing role in the global commercial launch market," the prime minister said.&nbsp;
PM Modi said the LVM3 launch was also reflective of efforts towards an Aatmanirbhar Bharat and congratulated hardworking space scientists and engineers.&nbsp;
"India continues to soar higher in the world of space! Powered by India's youth, our space programme is getting more advanced and impactful," the prime minister said.&nbsp;
"With LVM3 demonstrating reliable heavy-lift performance, we are strengthening the foundations for future missions such as Gaganyaan, expanding commercial launch services and deepening global partnerships," he said.&nbsp;
"This increased capability and boost to self-reliance are wonderful for the coming generations," the prime minister said.&nbsp;

ISRO has begun the 24-hour countdown for the LVM3-M6 rocket launch carrying the heaviest LEO payload, the BlueBird Block-2 US communication satellite, under a commercial mission.

ISRO Launches LVM3-M6 Rocket with US Communication Satellite

ISRO's Record Launch: LVM3-M6

ISRO has begun the 24-hour countdown for the LVM3-M6 rocket launch carrying the heaviest LEO payload, the BlueBird Block-2 US communication satellite, under a commercial mission.

The 24-hour countdown for the launch of LVM3-M6 rocket, which will carry a new generation US communication satellite commenced in Sriharikota on Tuesday, ISRO said.
In a dedicated commercial mission, ISRO is scheduled to launch the Bluebird Block-2 spacecraft on board its heavy lift launch vehicle LVM3-M6 at 8.54 am from the second launch pad at this spaceport on Wednesday.
Weighing 6,100 kg, the communication satellite would be the heaviest payload to be placed into the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in LVM3 launch history, the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency said.
The previous heaviest was the LVM3-M5 Communication Satellite 03, weighing about 4,400 kg that was successfully launched by ISRO on November 2.
Wednesday's mission is being undertaken as part of the commercial agreement signed between NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) and US-based AST SpaceMobile (AST and Science, LLC). NewSpace India Ltd is the commercial arm of ISRO.
The historic mission would deploy the next generation communication satellite designed to provide high-speed cellular broadband directly to smartphones worldwide.
AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network, which is accessible directly by smartphones and designed for both commercial and government applications.
Ahead of the launch, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan offered prayers at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala on December 23.
According to the Indian space agency, the 43.5 metre tall LVM3, also known as Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle MkIII, is a three stage rocket with a cryogenic engine designed and developed by ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre.
The vehicle uses two S200 solid rocket boosters to provide the huge amount of thrust required for lift off. The booster has been developed by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.
After a flight of about 15 minutes from liftoff, the Bluebird Block-2 satellite is expected to get separated from the launch vehicle.
BlueBird Block-2 mission is part of a global LEO constellation to provide direct-to-mobile connectivity through satellite.
This constellation would enable 4G and 5G voice and video calls, texts, streaming and data for everyone, everywhere at all times. It features a 223m2 phased array, making it the largest commercial communications satellite every deployed into low Earth Orbit, about 600km altitude.
AST SpaceMobile had launched five satellites, BlueBird 1-5 in September 2024 which provide continuous internet coverage across the United States and other select countries.
The company has planned to launch similar satellites to augment its network support and has partnered with over 50 mobile operators across the globe.

ISRO Chairman V Narayanan confirms plans to land Indians on the Moon by 2040, launch the Gaganyaan human space mission by 2027, and build a national space station by 2035, with major lunar, Mars, and Venus missions underway.

Crewed Moon mission by 2040; maiden human spaceflight to launch in 2027: ISRO chief Narayanan

ISRO Chairman V Narayanan confirms plans to land Indians on the Moon by 2040, launch the Gaganyaan human space mission by 2027, and build a national space station by 2035, with major lunar, Mars, and Venus missions underway.

ISRO chairman V Narayanan on Wednesday said the space agency has set a target of landing Indians on the Moon by 2040, while its maiden human spaceflight mission 'Gaganyaan' is on track for launch in 2027.
Narayanan said a slew of ambitious space projects and sector reforms were currently underway, including a national space station by 2035, and three uncrewed 'Gaganyaan' missions by 2026, with the first one that includes a half-humanoid robot 'Vyommitra', targeted for December 2025.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a guideline for an indigenous crewed lunar mission by 2040, under which we have to land our own citizens on the moon and bring them back safely. A Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) has also been approved to study the planet," Narayanan said in an exclusive interview with PTI.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief said the Bharatiya Antriksh Station (BAS) is expected to come up by 2035, and initial modules in space are expected as early as 2027.
He was here to attend the 35th convocation ceremony of Ranchi-based Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) Mesra as the chief guest.
"There are a lot of developments in 'Gaganyaan'. We are planning some more experiments. Before the crewed mission, we are planning three uncrewed missions. 'Vyommitra' is going to fly on that in December this year. Two more uncrewed missions will take place next year. Crewed 'Gaganyaan' mission would be possible by 2027 first quarter," Narayanan added.
With Modi defining a clear roadmap and rolling out reforms for the space sector, ISRO is moving with confidence and clarity towards realising the dream of a self-reliant and vibrant space ecosystem, he said.
He said India&rsquo;s upcoming projects include Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5, a new Mars mission, and AXOM, a high-priority astronomical observatory mission.
"The Aditya-L1 mission has already yielded over 15 terabits of solar data, with valuable insights into coronal mass ejections and space weather," Narayanan added.
"We are open to international collaborations," he said, emphasising that while India is committed to self-reliance, climate science and space research, which are global concerns, "how and where we collaborate will be debated and decided based on scientific and strategic priorities." Highlighting the role of reforms, Narayanan said the space sector has been transformed through the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), which integrates startups and private players into the national ecosystem.
"Just a few years ago, there were barely one or two startups in the space sector. Today, there are over 300 working on satellite manufacturing, launch services, and space-based data analytics," he said.
"This shift is seen as crucial to meeting India's rising demand for satellite-based applications in agriculture, disaster management, telecommunication, real-time train and vehicle monitoring, and fisheries," he added.
For missions like crewed lunar landing, India needs to enhance its launch capacity and space infrastructure and has already started work to build its space station.
"From launching 35 kg initially to now envisioning 80,000 kg &mdash; that is the scale of transformation we are aiming for," he said.
Talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, and Big Data, he said these are becoming integral to space missions.
"Just like no one imagined the computer revolution 35 years ago, AI and robotics will define the next era of space exploration," the scientist remarked.
He said today India stands as the world's fourth-largest economy, with a burgeoning space sector that is not only matching, but often surpassing global benchmarks.
"From discovering water on the Moon with Chandrayaan-1, to the first soft landing near the lunar south pole with Chandrayaan-3, India has set multiple world records in space. Today, we are No. 1 in nine areas globally," he asserted.
The ISRO chief added that India has become the fourth country to successfully achieve docking and undocking in space with the success of SPADEX mission.
"We also completed the 100th launch from Sriharikota &mdash; the GSLV F15/NVS-02 Mission &mdash; and received final approval for a third launch pad catering to all launch vehicles, including the next-generation NGLV, at an estimated cost of Rs 4,000 crore," Narayanan said.
On Atomic energy, he said, currently India has 23 nuclear reactors across eight major nuclear plants, including Tarapur and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
Narayanan took charge as ISRO Chairman in January 2025. He earlier served as director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), one of ISRO&rsquo;s key facilities.

ISRO successfully carried out the Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-01) near Sriharikota, validating the parachute-based deceleration system of the Gaganyaan crew module, a crucial step for safe landing in future missions.

ISRO Achieves Major Milestone with Successful Gaganyaan Parachute Test

ISRO's Successful Parachute Test for Gaganyaan Mission

ISRO successfully carried out the Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-01) near Sriharikota, validating the parachute-based deceleration system of the Gaganyaan crew module, a crucial step for safe landing in future missions.

The Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-01) performed by ISRO on Sunday near Sriharikota marks an essential step in the system-level qualification of the parachute-based deceleration system for the Gaganyaan programme, ISRO has said.
The space agency said the test at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota, "successfully demonstrated the objective of end-to-end performance validation of the critical parachute-based deceleration system of the Crew Module for Gaganyaan mission in one of the typical mission scenarios." It described the exercise as part of the "system level qualification of parachute-based deceleration system, in which a simulated Crew Module (CM), encompassing the deceleration system is dropped using a helicopter." Explaining its purpose, ISRO said, in a press release issued late on Sunday, "In Gaganyaan missions, parachute-based deceleration system is employed during the terminal phase of crew module descent to reduce the touchdown velocity to an acceptable limit for safe landing on sea." The parachute system tested was "the same as that of Gaganyaan missions" and comprised ten parachutes -- two Apex Cover Separation (ACS), two Drogue, three Pilot and three Main canopies.
The 4.8-tonne simulated Crew Module was released from about 3 km altitude using the Indian Air Force's Chinook heavy-lift helicopter. "The deceleration system initiation began with firing of ACS Mortar, which deploys the &Atilde;2.5 m ACS parachutes, which is followed by the separation of Apex cover," ISRO said.
Drogue parachutes provided the first stage of deceleration, before being released to allow three Pilot parachutes to deploy the three Main parachutes of 25 metres diameter.
"Further, main parachutes reduced the terminal velocity of the simulated Crew Module to about 8m/s. After touchdown, the Main parachutes were released using parachute releasers. These parachutes, totaling ten in number, deployed in a precise sequence to gradually decrease the velocity of the Crew Module for safe touchdown," the agency said.
The test simulated "a possible abort scenario on the launch pad," with onboard avionics commanding the deceleration sequence and telemetering data to ground.
Post splashdown, "the simulated Crew Module was successfully recovered and ferried back on INS Anvesha to Chennai port," ISRO added.
The agency said "extensive modeling of CM as well as helicopter was carried out to address the dynamics of underslung body" and multiple trial sorties were completed before clearance by the Test Authorisation Board (TAB).
Apart from ISRO centres, "other governmental agencies, including DRDO, Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard also contributed in the successful accomplishment of this major test," ISRO said.
"Similar tests at different deployment conditions are planned in the forthcoming days," it added.

ISRO and NASA successfully launch $1.5 billion NISAR satellite aboard GSLV F-16, marking their first joint Earth observation mission into Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit.

Indo-US space collaboration takes flight with NISAR satellite success

ISRO and NASA successfully launch $1.5 billion NISAR satellite aboard GSLV F-16, marking their first joint Earth observation mission into Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit.

India and the US on Wednesday marked their maiden space collaboration with the successful flight of a GSLV rocket that placed an earth observation satellite, jointly developed by ISRO and NASA, in a precise orbit in what was described as an "outstanding success" by the Indian space agency.
ISRO's GSLV F-16 injected NISAR--NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite, into the intended Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO), after a flight of about 19 minutes and around 745 km, marking the culmination of a decade-long cooperation between the top two space agencies of the world.
"I am extremely happy to announce that GSLV F-16 successfully injected the NISAR satellite into intended orbit," ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said about the 102nd launch from here.
Reportedly, Wednesday's mission was the world's most expensive at an estimated USD 1.5 bn. Also, this was the first GSLV mission to the SSPO and till date, all the GSLV missions have been going to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
"And being the SSPO mission, several analyses and studies were carried out to make this mission a grand success." Cryogenic upper stage corrections and a host of mission simulations were carried out very systematically and meticulously, Narayanan added.
"All the vehicle system performances were quite normal as expected and as predicted. Today, we achieved the intended orbit. Actually we have got an orbit with a dispersion (deviation from desired orbit) of less than 3 km as against the permissible level of 20 km...all parameters are as expected," he said.
"NISAR is an all-weather day and night imaging satellite that will scan the entire earth at a 12 day interval. The satellite integrates ISRO's S-band synthetic aperture radar with NASA's L-band SAR payload and 12 metre unfurlable antenna to become a first of its kind dual frequency SAR satellite," Narayanan, also Secretary, Department of Space, added.
Deputy Associate Administrator at NASA, Casey Swails said it was an incredible decade culminating in this moment from the technical collaborations, the cultural understandings, getting to know each other building that team across continents, time zones.
"This mission is truly a pathfinder, not just in regards to our technical collaborations because those are truly incredible but earth science mission is one of a kind which really shows the world what the two nations can do. But more than that it is really a pathfinder for the relationship building across our two nations, across India and the United States building upon decades of collaborations that already existed," she added.
Earlier, at the end of the 27.30 hour countdown, the 51.7 metre tall launch vehicle carrying the 2,393 kg satellite majestically lifted-off from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, here, situated about 135 km east of Chennai at a prefixed time of 5.40 pm.
Post the separation from the rocket, the scientists would embark on commissioning the satellite which would take "several days" to be positioned and meet the mission objectives.
According to ISRO, the S-band Radar system, data handling and high-speed downlink system, the spacecraft and the launch system are developed by the national space agency. The L-band Radar system, high speed downlink system, the Solid State Recorder, GPS receiver, the 9m Boom hoisting the 12m reflector are delivered by US-based National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA).
"Further, ISRO is responsible for the satellite commanding and operations. NASA will provide the orbit maneuver plan and RADAR operations plan. NISAR mission will be aided with ground station support of both ISRO and NASA for downloading of the acquired images, which after the necessary processing will be disseminated to the user community," it said.
The data acquired through S-band and L-band SAR from a single platform will help the scientists to understand the changes happening to Earth.
According to ISRO, the NISAR mission's primary objectives are to study land and ice deformation, land ecosystems, and oceanic regions in areas of common interest to the US and Indian scientific communities.
The mission would help in measuring the woody biomass, track changes in the extent of active crops, understand the changes in wetlands extent among others.
The mission life of NISAR is 5 year.
NASA said the data from NISAR mission would provide critical insights to help governments and decision-makers plan for natural and human-caused hazards. NISAR can help with hazard-monitoring efforts and potentially give decision- makers more time to prepare for a possible disaster.
The RADAR satellite would provide a 3D view of the Earth's land and ice and through its ability to see through clouds and light rain, day and night, the satellite would enable data users to continuously monitor earthquake and landslide prone areas and determine how quickly glaciers and ice sheets are changing.
The data collected from the satellite would also offer an 'unprecedented coverage of Antarctica, an information that would help with studying how the continent's ice sheet changes over time.
The NISAR mission would help the two space agencies to monitor ecosystems around the world and the L band penetrates deep into forest canopies, providing insights into forest structure, while the S-band radar is monitoring crops.

The ISRO-NASA NISAR satellite, designed to study Earth’s land, ice, and ocean dynamics, is scheduled for launch today aboard GSLV-F16 from Sriharikota.

NASA-ISRO collaborative satellite NISAR all set for launch

The ISRO-NASA NISAR satellite, designed to study Earth&rsquo;s land, ice, and ocean dynamics, is scheduled for launch today aboard GSLV-F16 from Sriharikota.

Aimed at boosting ties between India and the United States on space exploration, India is geared up to launch an earth observation satellite jointly developed by ISRO and NASA on Wednesday.
Eyeing to study the planet Earth as a whole from a Sun-synchronous Orbit, the NISAR satellite is a combination of human skills and exchange of software and hardware between the two space agencies for over a decade.
NISAR, an acronym for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite, weighing 2,393 kg is expected to fly on a 51.7 metre tall, three stage, GSLV-F16 rocket at a prefixed time of 5.40 pm from the second launch pad at this spaceport situated about 135 km from Chennai on Wednesday.
The countdown for the launch commenced at 2.10 pm on July 29 and has been progressing, ISRO said, and the mission would be classified into launch phase, deployment phase, commissioning phase and science phase.
"GSLV-F16/NISAR Today&rsquo;s the day! Launch Day has arrived for GSLV-F16 and NISAR. GSLV-F16 is standing tall on the launch pad. NISAR is ready. Liftoff today," ISRO said in a social media post on Wednesday.
While the partnership between ISRO and NASA is first of its kind, it is also the first time for a GSLV rocket to carry a rocket destined to Sun-synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO) unlike Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles.
The Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO has sent similar missions in the past (Resourcesat, RISAT) to study the Earth but were "operationally focused" on Indian territory. The NISAR mission is targeted to study the Earth and would provide information to global scientific fraternity, ISRO said.
The satellite would be able to study seasonal changes on forest dynamics, mountain shifts, glacier movements in the Himalayas and Antarctica, North and South poles.
NISAR mission's primary objectives are to study land and ice deformation, land ecosystems, and oceanic regions in areas of common interest to the United States and Indian science communities.
ISRO said the complex payloads and mainframe systems in the mission have been designed, developed, and realised over a period of 8 to 10 years.
Scientists from both space agencies were involved in extensive collaborations and the NISAR satellite carries dual frequency -- two L Band provided by NASA and S-Band provided by ISRO for the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) enabling the collection of a vast amount of data.
The S-Band SAR and L-Band SAR were independently developed, integrated and tested at ISRO and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA, United States, respectively, ISRO said.
After reaching the initial orbital conditions on Wednesday, scientists would engage in 'commissioning' the satellite.
The first 90 days after launch would be dedicated to commissioning or to perform In-Orbit Checkout, the objective of which is to prepare the observatory for science operations, ISRO said.
The dual-band Synthetic Aperture Radar employs an advanced, SweepSAR technique, which provides high resolution and large swath imagery. NISAR would image the global land and ice-covered surfaces, including islands, sea-ice and oceans, every 12 days.
The spacecraft and the launch system are developed by ISRO while the L-band Radar system, high speed downlink system, GPS receiver are delivered by NASA. ISRO is responsible for the satellite and commanding operations, while NASA would provide the orbit manoeuver and RADAR operations plan.
NISAR mission would be aided with ground station support of both the two space agencies for downloading the acquired images, which, after the necessary processing, would be disseminated to the user community.
GSLV-F16 is the 18th flight of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle and the 12th with indigenous cryogenic stage. It is also the 102nd launch from Sriharikota.
The life of the NISAR Mission is 5 years, ISRO said.

ISRO-NASA’s Earth observation satellite NISAR, equipped with dual-frequency radar, to launch on July 30 from Sriharikota using India’s GSLV-F16 rocket.

ISRO-NASA Earth Observation Satellite NISAR Set to Launch

Earth observation NISAR satellite will be launched on Jul 30, says ISRO chairman

ISRO-NASA&rsquo;s Earth observation satellite NISAR, equipped with dual-frequency radar, to launch on July 30 from Sriharikota using India&rsquo;s GSLV-F16 rocket.

The unique Earth observation satellite NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) will be launched through the GSLV-S16 on July 30, said ISRO chairman V Narayanan.
Weighing 2,392 kg, NISAR is a unique Earth observation satellite and the first to observe the Earth with a dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (NASA&rsquo;s L-band and ISRO&rsquo;s S-band) both using NASA&rsquo;s 12m unfurlable mesh reflector antenna, integrated to ISRO&rsquo;s modified 13k satellite bus.
It will observe earth with a swath of 242 km and high spatial resolution, using SweepSAR technology for the first time, according to the space agency.
It will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
&ldquo;The Earth observation satellite jointly developed by ISRO and NASA will be sent into space on July 30 by the GSLV-F16 rocket made in India,&rdquo; Indian Space Research Organisation chairman V Narayanan said.
It will be launched at a distance of 740 km. It can take pictures of the earth 24 hours a day in all weather conditions and the satellite can detect landslides, aid in disaster management and monitor climate change, he said while speaking to reporters at the airport here on Sunday night.
&ldquo;The satellite will benefit India, the US and the entire world&hellip; it is also crucial for monitoring earth&rsquo;s natural resources,&rdquo; he added.
On Gaganyaan, India's human spaceflight Mission, Narayanan said a humanoid, called Vyommitra, will be sent into space in December this year. Once it proved to be successful, two other uncrewed missions would be launched next year.
Following the success, the Gaganyaan Mission will be launched in March 2027 as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.&nbsp;

ISRO has completed two successful hot tests of the Gaganyaan Service Module Propulsion System at Mahendragiri, validating key engine configurations ahead of India's first crewed space mission.

ISRO successfully conducts hot tests of Gaganyaan propulsion system

ISRO has completed two successful hot tests of the Gaganyaan Service Module Propulsion System at Mahendragiri, validating key engine configurations ahead of India's first crewed space mission.

ISRO has successfully condscucted two hot tests of the Gaganyaan Service Module Propulsion System (SMPS) at the space agency's Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri on July 3.
The short-duration tests, lasting 30 seconds and 100 seconds respectively, were aimed at validating the test article configuration, ISRO said in a statement on Wednesday.
"The overall performance of the propulsion system during these hot tests was normal as per pre-test predictions. During the 100s test, simultaneous operation of all Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters in different modes (steady state; pulsed) along with all Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) engines was also successfully demonstrated.
"ISRO's Liquid Propulsion System Centre (LPSC) is leading the technology development activities for the Gaganyaan SMPS. SMPS is a critical system of Gaganyaan Orbital Module and is required during orbital manoeuvring as well as specific abort scenarios," the space agency said.
It comprises five Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) engines (each 440N thrust) and 16 Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters (each 100N thrust). In order to simulate the propulsion system conditions closer to flight, the SMPS test article for these hot tests incorporated improvements based on experience gained from earlier hot tests.
"With the confidence gained through these hot tests, ISRO will conduct a full duration hot test shortly," the statement said.
According to ISRO, the Gaganyaan programme aims to demonstrate India&rsquo;s capability to launch a crewed spacecraft into low Earth orbit, and the experience and knowledge gained from this mission will be crucial for its success.

This state-of-the-art equipment is a collaborative effort between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI).

ISRO Reveals Largest Planetary Mixer for Propellant

ISRO unveils World's largest vertical mixer for propellant production

This state-of-the-art equipment is a collaborative effort between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI).

In a groundbreaking development, India's space technology has reached new heights with the creation of the world's largest vertical planetary mixer, designed for solid propellant production.
This state-of-the-art equipment is a collaborative effort between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI).
During a handover ceremony on February 13 in Bengaluru, the mixer was officially handed over to the Director of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), A. Rajarajan, in the presence of ISRO Chairman S. Somanath and CMTI Director K. Prasad.
Enhancing solid propellant production
The advanced mixer represents a pivotal component in India's space propulsion capabilities. Solid propellants, essential for rocket motors, demand meticulous and controlled mixing due to the sensitive nature of the materials. Weighing 150 tonnes and measuring 5.4 meters in length, 3.3 meters in breadth, and 8.7 meters in height, this new mixer promises to significantly enhance the consistency, quality, and scalability of solid propellant production.
Driving towards self-reliance in space technology
This development marks another milestone in India's mission for self-sufficiency in key technologies. The Department of Space has been proactively advancing indigenous manufacturing, and this mixer is testament to India's growing prowess in aerospace engineering and production. After successful factory-level acceptance tests, the mixer is poised to play a crucial role in advancing the nation's space transportation infrastructure.
Implications for future ISRO missions
The introduction of this mixer emphasizes the importance of improving both safety and efficiency in solid propellant preparation for future ISRO endeavors. This technological breakthrough is expected to underpin upcoming launch vehicle developments, further solidifying India's influence in the international space sector.

India’s first astronaut IAF pilot Shubhanshu Shukla is gearing up for a historic mission to the ISS.

Shubhanshu Shukla's Historic ISS Mission

India&rsquo;s first astronaut IAF pilot Shubhanshu Shukla is gearing up for a historic mission to the ISS.

In space programme, India has made history in many ways, earlier. Another feather added to It's crown! Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force is all set to become the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station. The mission is scheduled to launch from Florida in USA.
He has been assigned as the pilot for Axiom Mission 4, part of a collaborative initiative between NASA and ISRO. It marks an all new chapter in India's space mission journey. NASA has announced that the launch is slated for "no earlier than spring 2025."
Captain Shubhanshu Shukla expressed his eagerness to share his experience with fellow Indians. He plans to carry items symbolizing India on his journey and even hopes to perform yoga poses aboard the space station.
Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Captain Shukla has already established himself as a distinguished IAF pilot. Commissioned into the fighter wing in June 2006, he has accumulated an impressive 2,000 hours of flight experience across diverse aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. Achieving the rank of group captain in March 2024, Shukla is also the astronaut-designate for India&rsquo;s Gaganyaan mission.
In 2019, a pivotal call from ISRO led Shukla to undergo rigorous training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Moscow&mdash;a transformative year-long preparation for his astronautical pursuits.
This mission, Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), also heralds significant milestones for Poland and Hungary, marking each nation&rsquo;s return to human spaceflight in over 40 years. This is the first time these three countries will participate in a mission on the ISS together, highlighting Axiom Space's role in reshaping global low-Earth orbit access and advancing national space initiatives.
Commanded by former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space's Director of Human Spaceflight, Peggy Whitson, the mission includes Shukla as the pilot and two European Space Agency project astronauts, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, as mission specialists. The astronauts aim to spend up to 14 days on the ISS, engaging in various scientific, outreach, and commercial ventures. This historic mission signifies a bold step for international cooperation and technological advancement in space exploration.

Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla, selected as the pilot for Axiom Mission 4, will become India's second astronaut in space. 

 Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla named pilot for NASA's Axiom Mission 4 to ISS

Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla, selected as the pilot for Axiom Mission 4, will become India's second astronaut in space.&nbsp;

Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer recently selected as the 'Prime' astronaut for the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Gaganyaan mission, has now been named the pilot for Axiom Mission 4, scheduled for Spring 2025.&nbsp;
The Ax-4 mission will be led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Axiom Space's Director of Human Spaceflight.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Meet the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ax4?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ax4</a> crew. 🇺🇸 Commander Peggy Whitson 🇮🇳 Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a> 🇵🇱 Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of ESA/<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Poland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Poland</a> 🇭🇺 Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hungary?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hungary</a> <a href="https://t.co/Jjx8ERGqFf">pic.twitter.com/Jjx8ERGqFf</a>
&mdash; Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) <a href="https://twitter.com/Axiom_Space/status/1884983916127264867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Shukla will be joined by mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. This mission marks a significant milestone as it will be the first government-sponsored human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary in over 40 years.
Shubhanshu Shukla will become India's second astronaut in space since 1984. His journey began in June 2006 when he was commissioned into the IAF's fighter wing.&nbsp;
As a seasoned combat leader and test pilot, Shukla has accumulated over 2,000 flight hours across various aircraft types, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.&nbsp;
His rise to the rank of Group Captain in March 2024 reflects his extraordinary contributions to the IAF. In 2019, Shukla received a transformative call from ISRO and embarked on intense training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Moscow, preparing him for future space missions.
On February 27, 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially announced Shukla as one of the astronauts undergoing intensive training for India's first-ever human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, scheduled for 2025.&nbsp;
By August 2024, Shukla had been selected as the 'Prime' astronaut for the upcoming Indo-US mission to the International Space Station (ISS), with Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair as his backup astronaut.&nbsp;
The Gaganyaan mission aims to demonstrate India's human spaceflight capabilities, with a crew of three astronauts orbiting at 400 km for three days before safely returning to Earth, landing in Indian sea waters.
India&rsquo;s space sector has seen remarkable advancements in recent years, especially with successful missions like Chandrayaan-3&rsquo;s lunar landing and the Aditya L1 Solar Mission. ISRO&rsquo;s Gaganyaan program has also been making significant progress, as has the agency&rsquo;s work on reusable launch vehicles, expanding satellite portfolios, and a commitment to building an Indian space station by 2035.&nbsp;
On January 29, 2024, ISRO successfully launched the GSLV-F15 carrying the NVS-02 satellite, marking the 100th launch from India&rsquo;s spaceport at Sriharikota.

ISRO successfully launched the GSLV-F15 rocket, marking its 100th launch from Sriharikota, with the NVS-02 satellite.

ISRO's 100th Launch: GSLV-F15 Lifts Off

ISRO achieves milestone with 100th launch; GSLV-F15 places NVS-02 in orbit

ISRO successfully launched the GSLV-F15 rocket, marking its 100th launch from Sriharikota, with the NVS-02 satellite.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) marked a significant milestone with the successful launch of its GSLV-F15 rocket, carrying the NVS-02 satellite, at 6:23 AM from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;
This launch is ISRO&rsquo;s 100th from the country&rsquo;s spaceport. GSLV-F15 is the 17th flight of India&rsquo;s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and the 11th flight featuring the Indigenous Cryo stage.&nbsp;
This marks the 8th operational flight of GSLV with an indigenous Cryogenic stage, and its payload fairing is a metallic version with a 3.4-meter diameter.
&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/100thLaunch?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#100thLaunch&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;br&gt;Congratulations &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/isro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@isro&lt;/a&gt; for achieving the landmark milestone of &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/100thLaunch?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#100thLaunch&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sriharikota?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Sriharikota&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br&gt;It&rsquo;s a privilege to be associated with the Department of Space at the historic moment of this record feat.&lt;br&gt;Team &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISRO?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#ISRO&lt;/a&gt;, you have once again made India proud with&hellip; &lt;a href="https://t.co/lZp1eV4mmL"&gt;pic.twitter.com/lZp1eV4mmL&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/DrJitendraSingh/status/1884409343807730132?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;January 29, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; &lt;script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
ISRO stated that the GSLV-F15, equipped with the indigenous Cryogenic stage, is designed to place the NVS-02 satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.
A number of students had the rare chance to witness the historic launch from close to the launchpad, their excitement palpable as they experienced this momentous event.&nbsp;
Teerth, a student from Gujarat, shared his enthusiasm with ANI, saying, "I came from my college to witness the 100th launch, I am really excited. ISRO is not launching various foreign countries' satellites, so we are generating income from that also, so it is a really impressive step from the Indian government and ISRO."&nbsp;
Avinash, from Bihar, who was attending a launch for the first time, expressed his excitement, saying, "Really excited about it, we are here to witness the takeoff. All the best to the scientists and anyone else who have worked on this. We are really excited for this, this is the first time I get to witness this, we had been trying for four years to witness this and finally we got the chance."
On Tuesday, Nilesh Desai, Director of the Space Applications Centre (SAC)/ISRO, explained that the launch would enhance India's Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), increasing its satellites from 4 to 5.&nbsp;
Desai stated, "We are going to launch at 6:23 am this GSLV-F-15 mission which will carry the NVS-02 satellite into orbit. Finally, it will be put in the geostationary orbit at 36,000 kilometres and it will increase the number of satellites of our navigation constellation from 4 to 5 and that will improve the overall accuracy of the positioning which we get from this navigation satellite."
The IRNSS, now branded as the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC), is a system comprising seven satellites in total. With this launch, India has successfully placed 5 out of these 7 satellites in space.&nbsp;
Desai added, "This is the 5th in the series of operational NavIC satellites. NavIC satellite is our earlier named IRNSS satellite configuration which is called the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, it is a part of this satellite constellation where we will put seven satellites. Older satellites are getting replaced with a new series of satellites."
NavIC is India&rsquo;s independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide precise Position, Velocity, and Timing (PVT) services for users in India and regions extending up to 1500 km beyond India&rsquo;s landmass.&nbsp;
The system offers two types of services: Standard Positioning Service (SPS) and Restricted Service (RS). The SPS provides positioning accuracy better than 20 meters and timing accuracy better than 40 nanoseconds across the service area.

ISRO begins the 27-hour countdown for its 100th mission, launching the NVS-02 navigation satellite aboard the GSLV-F15 rocket. This milestone marks the first mission under ISRO Chairman V Narayanan.

ISRO begins 27-hour countdown for 100th mission to launch navigation satellite

ISRO begins the 27-hour countdown for its 100th mission, launching the NVS-02 navigation satellite aboard the GSLV-F15 rocket. This milestone marks the first mission under ISRO Chairman V Narayanan.

The 27-hour countdown for ISRO's historic 100th mission from this spaceport, launch of a Navigation satellite onboard a GSLV rocket commenced on Tuesday, sources in the space agency said. Also, this would be the first mission for ISRO Chairman V Narayanan, who assumed office on January 13.
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) with indigenous Cryogenic upper stage in its 17th flight, carrying the navigation satellite NVS-02 is scheduled for lift-off at 6.23 am on January 29 from the second launch pad here.
The navigation satellite is the second in the series of the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) aimed to provide accurate position, velocity and timing to users in the Indian sub-continent as well as to regions about 1,500 km beyond the Indian land mass.
"The 27.30 hour countdown commenced at 02.53 am on Tuesday," multiple sources told PTI.
The 50.9 metre tall GSLV-F15 follows the GSLV-F12 mission which successfully carried navigation satellite NVS-01, the first of the second generation satellites on May 29, 2023.
NavIC comprises five second generation satellites--NVS-01/02/03/04/05 envisaged to augment NavIC base layer constellation with enhanced features for ensuring continuity of services.
The NVS-02 satellite designed and developed by the U R Satellite Centre weighs about 2,250 kg. It has navigation payload in L1, L5 and S bands in addition to ranging payload in C-band like its predecessor NVS-01.
The key applications the satellite would be used for are terrestrial, aerial and maritime navigation, precision agriculture, fleet management, location based services in mobile devices, orbit determination for satellites, Internet-of-Things (IoT) based applications, emergency and timing services, ISRO said.

The Union Cabinet has approved the creation of a Third Launch Pad at ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, aimed at supporting next-generation launch vehicles, backup for existing infrastructure.

Cabinet approves third launch pad at ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre

The Union Cabinet has approved the creation of a Third Launch Pad at ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, aimed at supporting next-generation launch vehicles, backup for existing infrastructure.

The Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the establishment of a Third Launch Pad (TLP) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on Thursday.
The TLP is designed to support the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) next-generation launch vehicles (NGLV) and serve as a backup to the existing second launch pad.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | Delhi: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says, "...With a cost of Rs 3985 Crores, third launch pad has been sanctioned by the cabinet today. This will prove to be an important milestone for the country in space infrastructure. If you look at the first and second launch&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/Mr5Cnw4D1j">pic.twitter.com/Mr5Cnw4D1j</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1879826155974590945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
It will also enhance India&rsquo;s space exploration capabilities, particularly in supporting future human spaceflight missions.
Featuring a versatile and adaptable design, the TLP will be able to accommodate various launch vehicles, including the NGLV, LVM3 with a semi-cryogenic stage, and upgraded NGLV configurations.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Union Cabinet approves the establishment of the Third Launch Pad (TLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre of ISRO at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh at a cost of ₹3,985 cr which will prove to be an important milestone in the field of space infrastructure TLP significantly enhances&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/l3hnAnBrRv">pic.twitter.com/l3hnAnBrRv</a>
&mdash; PIB India (@PIB_India) <a href="https://twitter.com/PIB_India/status/1879830615924838859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
The project will build on ISRO&rsquo;s prior experience in developing launch pads and involve significant collaboration with industry partners. Existing infrastructure at the launch complex will be optimized during the construction process.
The TLP project, with an estimated cost of Rs 3,984.86 crore, is set to be completed within 48 months.
This new facility will strengthen India&rsquo;s space ecosystem, enabling more frequent launches and advancing the country's capabilities in human spaceflight and space exploration missions. It is recognized as a project of national importance.
Currently, India's space transportation systems rely on two launch pads: the First Launch Pad (FLP) and the Second Launch Pad (SLP).
FLP, established 30 years ago, has supported PSLV and SSLV launches.
SLP, created primarily for GSLV and LVM3, has been operational for nearly 20 years, contributing to national missions like Chandrayaan-3 and commercial PSLV/LVM3 missions.
Additionally, SLP is being prepared for the human-rated LVM3 launch for the Gaganyaan mission.
With the expanded vision of India's space program during the Amrit Kaal, including the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) by 2035 and a planned Indian Crewed Lunar Landing by 2040, new, heavier launch vehicles with advanced propulsion systems are required.
These vehicles cannot be supported by the current launch pads. Therefore, establishing a Third Launch Pad is crucial to cater to the next-generation launch vehicles and act as a backup for SLP. This development is essential to meet the growing space transportation needs for the next 25 to 30 years.

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