India launched 27 satellite, 25 vehicle missions in last 5 years: Centre

A total number of 27 satellite missions and 25 launch vehicle missions were successfully accomplished during the last five years from April 2016 to March 2021, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.

In reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today, Singh informed that in addition, 286 commercial satellites from domestic as well as foreign customers and eight student satellites from Indian universities were also launched during the aforementioned period.

"Some of the major space missions include a first operational flight of India's heavy-lift launch vehicle GSLV Mk-III which placed India's second lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2 into orbit; Advanced Cartography satellite, Cartosat-3; completion of NavIC constellation; launch of South Asia Satellite; launch of heaviest and most-advanced high throughput communication satellite, GSAT-11 and launch of record 104 satellites in a single PSLV flight," said the Union Minister

Apart from these, three technology demonstrators namely Scramjet engine, Re-Usable Launch Vehicle and test for Crew Escape System were also successfully demonstrated during this period, he added.

Singh said that the Department of Space has charted out short-term and long-term plans in the areas of Space Transportation Systems, Satellite Communication and Navigation, Earth Observation, Space Sciences and Planetary Exploration, Capacity Building and Space-based applications.