- India successfully landed Chandrayan 3 lander on Moon’s Surface on 23rd August 2023, which led to the declaration of 23rd August as India’s National Space Day by the Prime Minister.
- Under the Ganganyan project, ISRO is focused on astronaut training, ISRO plans more abort tests and an uncrewed mission by late 2024.
- Indian Space roadmap includes a crewed lunar mission by 2040 and an Indian space station, ‘Bharatiya Antariksh Station’ (BAS), by 2035.
- Next-Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), a three-stage launch vehicle powered by a semi-cryogenic engine, a liquid engine, and a cryogenic engine is planned to replace the GSLV and support India’s lunar and space station aspirations.
- ISRO is also developing a semi-cryogenic engine for the LVM-3 rocket (also known as GSLV Mk III) to enhance its launch capability
| ISRO Missions since Landing of Chandrayan 3 • Aditya L1: Launched on September, 2023, this solar mission reached the first Earth-Sun Lagrange point (L1) in January, studying solar storms and contributing valuable data. • Gaganyaan TV-D1: In October, 2023, ISRO successfully conducted the first abort mission as part of its human spaceflight program, demonstrating the Crew Escape System. • XPoSat: Launched on January, 2024, this X-ray Polarimeter Satellite began operations, studying radiation polarization from celestial objects. • INSAT-3DS: Launched on February, 2024, this meteorological satellite reinforced the GSLV’s credibility before the upcoming NASA-ISRO NISAR mission. • RLV-TD: ISRO conducted two successful landing experiments with its Reusable Launch Vehicle in March and June 2024, moving closer to an Orbital Return Flight Experiment. • SSLV: In August, 2024, ISRO completed the final development flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle, marking its readiness for commercial use. |
- NSIL and Private Sector Initiatives:
- NSIL is now leading commercial space activities and operations freeing ISRO for research.
- NSIL signed an agreement with SpaceX to launch the GSAT-20/GSAT-N2 satellite and has taken steps to engage in public-private partnerships for LVM-3 production.
- Private companies like Agnikul Cosmos’s SoRTeD-01 vehicle is the first semi-cryogenic engine in its first stage from Indian soil.
- Skyroot Aerospace will launch its Vikram 1 rocket, Dhruva Space and Bellatrix Aerospace flew their experiments on PSLV- C58 mission.
- IN-SPACe, India’s new space regulator, released the ‘Norms, Guidelines, and Procedures for Authorisation of Space Activities’, and granted the country’s first satellite broadband licence to Eutelsat OneWeb.
- The government of India amended its foreign direct investment (FDI) policy to allow 100% direct FDI in all space and spaceflight segments except for a 74% ceiling in satellite manufacturing and operations and 49% in launch infrastructure.
Dig Deeper: Read about challenges associated with Crewed missions in the context of recent issues with Boeing Starliner that caused extended stay of astronauts in ISS.
