In a historic announcement, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan confirmed that India’s upcoming space station will weigh over 50 tonnes, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s space journey. The Bharatiya Antariksh Station will position India among the world’s elite spacefaring nations and strengthen its space-based infrastructure.
Speaking at a programme hosted by the Ram Mohan Mission, Narayanan emphasized the role of ISRO’s 57 operational satellites, which support critical services from weather forecasting to tele-education across remote regions. He also highlighted efforts by the Department of Space to work with various agencies to secure India’s extensive borders, including the 11,500 km coastline and northern frontiers.
Addressing the recent PSLV-C61/EOS-09 setback, Narayanan reassured that it was an exception in ISRO’s otherwise strong track record. He reaffirmed ISRO’s commitment to its ambitious human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, which will begin with an uncrewed test flight in the coming days, followed by two crewed missions.
ISRO is also advancing lunar exploration with Chandrayaan-4, aimed at returning lunar samples within the next two-and-a-half years. Additionally, Chandrayaan-5—a collaborative mission with Japan—will deploy a 6,400 kg lander and a 350 kg rover for a 100-day mission on the Moon. In comparison, Chandrayaan-3 had a 1,600 kg lander and 25 kg rover.
With these visionary projects, ISRO continues to push boundaries, expand scientific capabilities, and inspire future generations to explore the final frontier.