A new orbit for India: Startups, innovation propel space ambitions

While Isro pioneered cost-effective space innovations, startups are taking efficiency to the next level

India’s space sector has been abuzz with remarkable achievements recently. The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) celebrated a historic milestone with its 100th rocket launch from Sriharikota. Earlier, it successfully conducted space docking under the “SpaDeX” mission, positioning India as the fourth nation—after the United States, Russia, and China—to achieve this advanced capability. While we celebrate these successes, there is still significant ground to cover. Russia demonstrated space docking in 1967, the US in 1975, and China in 2011. Since then, these nations have showcased more advanced capabilities, including space stations, reusable spacecraft, space tourism, and low Earth orbit (LEO)