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BENGALURU: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh, on thursday chaired a high-level review of ISRO’s major upcoming space missions for 2025, alongside outgoing Chairman Dr. S. Somnath, his successor Dr. V. Narayanan, and other senior officials, including Mr. Pawan Kumar Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe.
With ambitious projects on the horizon, including the first “uncrewed” orbital flight preceding “Gaganyaan”, India’s Space exploration efforts are poised for groundbreaking achievements.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up for a busy first half of 2025, with a lineup of significant missions showcasing technological prowess and international collaboration. Among the highlights is the launch of Gaganyaan’s uncrewed orbital test mission. This critical endeavour will pave the way for India’s human spaceflight program, aiming to validate systems for crew safety and recovery.
In addition, two GSLV missions, a commercial launch of LVM3, and the much-anticipated ISRO-NASA collaboration on the NISAR satellite are slated for the coming months. The GSLV-F15 mission in January will carry the NVS-02 navigation satellite to augment the NavIC constellation, bolstering India’s positioning and navigation capabilities with indigenously developed atomic clocks.
In February, the GSLV-F16 mission will launch NISAR, a sophisticated Earth observation satellite co-developed with NASA. Equipped with advanced radar imaging technology, NISAR will provide critical data on agriculture, natural disasters, and climate monitoring.
The commercial LVM3-M5 mission, set for March, will deploy BlueBird Block-2 satellites under a contract with the U.S.-based AST SpaceMobile. This underscores ISRO’s growing stature in the global space market.
Dr. Jitendra Singh lauded ISRO’s strides in fostering innovation and advancing India’s position as a space-faring nation. He emphasized the importance of public-private collaboration in fuelling the country’s space ambitions. Dr. S. Somnath, reflecting on his tenure, expressed confidence in the upcoming missions, while Dr. V. Narayanan outlined a strategic roadmap for expanding ISRO’s global footprint.
As India prepares to script another chapter in space exploration, the success of these missions will not only enhance technological capabilities but also cement the country’s reputation as a leader in space science. For the millions following these developments, 2025 promises to be a landmark year for ISRO and Indian science.
