India Space Mission

Skyroot's Vikram-1 success puts India's private space sector in orbit

Experts say breakthrough paves the way for launch vehicles, manufacturing, and commercial space services

India's first private rocket Vikram-1 succeeds in maiden orbital launch

In a defining milestone, Skyroot Aerospace on Saturday launched the country's first private orbital rocket and successfully placed multiple technology-demonstration payloads into the desired orbit, making India the third country with private orbital launch capabilities after the US and China. The four-stage, seven-storey-tall Vikram-1 rocket lifted off majestically at 12.05 pm amid cloudy skies from the first launch pad of ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre here, leaving behind plumes of orange smoke and marking a new era in the country's space missions. The Hyderabad-based company, which carries the slogan - "Redefining access to space. Your fast track to the orbit. On-demand launch vehicle for rapid, precise, and customizable small satellite deployments"- on its website, described Saturday's mission 'Aagaman' (arrival) as a "grand success". The rocket, named after Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India's space programme, also carried payloads that had postcards, including from Prime

India's first private orbital rocket Vikram-1 lifts off from Sriharikota

India's first private orbital-class rocket, Vikram-1, carrying multiple technology demonstration payloads and a postcard from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, lifted off from this spaceport on Saturday. Named "Mission Aagaman" (arrival), the test flight's launch marks a historic milestone for the country's commercial space sector, executed by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace. On a cloudy day, the seven-storey-tall, four-stage Vikram-1 rocket lifted off at 12.05 pm on Saturday from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, here. Following a "planned hold," due to apparent navigation issues, the launch was revised 35 minutes late than the original prefixed time of 11.30 am. After its initial journey of a little short of 16 minutes, Vikram-1 is expected to place the payloads, both domestic and foreign, into a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 450 km with an inclination of 60 degrees. Vikram-1, named after the legendary Vikram Sarabhai who is often regarded as the Fat

India's first private orbital launch: Everything about Skyroot's Vikram-1

Vikram-1 launch: Mission Aagaman will test India's first privately developed orbital rocket and could open the door to a new era of commercial satellite launches by Indian private companies

Nasa's Anil Menon, two Russians blast off for 8-month space mission

Nasa astronaut Anil Menon and two Russian cosmonauts lifted off onboard a Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from Kazakhstan on an eight-month mission to the International Space Station on Tuesday. The spacecraft carrying Menon and Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina lifted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome at 8:17 p.m. IST. After a two-orbit, three-hour trip to the station, the spacecraft will automatically dock at 11:56 p.m. IST to the Prichal module. Once aboard, the trio will join NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, and Chris Williams, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev, and Andrey Fedyaev.

India's space startups gather pace as private sector ambitions take flight

Three years after opening the space sector to private players, India is seeing startups scale up satellite, launch vehicle and space technology capabilities

Vikram-1 nears launch: Who's building India's next gen private rockets?

As Skyroot Aerospace prepares for Vikram-1, startups and defence giants alike are positioning themselves for India's growing commercial launch opportunity

Isro invites Indian researchers to study data from Aditya-L1 mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Thursday that it is inviting proposals from the Indian solar physics community to access data from the Aditya-L1 mission, the first space-based Indian mission to study the Sun. This is the second such formal call from ISRO for Indian scientists to access the Aditya-L1 mission data; the first call was made in January. "At present, there are over 27 TB of data in the public domain, and several important scientific results have been published in international peer-reviewed journals. To further maximise the scientific return from this unique mission, the ISRO has released the second Announcement of Opportunity (AO) inviting proposals from the Indian solar physics community for Aditya-L1 observation time," the ISRO said in a statement. Proposals can be submitted by Indian scientists and researchers based at institutes, universities, or colleges in India. The applicants should be involved in research in the area of solar science a

Drive signal did not reach pyro valve: Isro on NVS-02 orbit-raising issue

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday detailed its on-orbit observations of the NVS-02 spacecraft and the recommendations made by an Apex Committee constituted to review the issue that affected its orbit-raising operations. NVS-02, the second spacecraft in the NVS series, was injected into an elliptical transfer orbit on January 29, 2025, following its launch aboard GSLV-F15. NVS-02 was injected successfully into the elliptical transfer orbit of 170x37,785 km with 20.8 degree inclination at 00:53 UT, ISRO said in a statement. The spacecraft was separated from the launch vehicle at 01:12:08 UT, after which a series of autonomous activities on the satellite were carried out, including the solar panel deployment and stabilising the orientation for power generation, it said. "However, the orbit raising operations from the elliptical to circular orbit could not be carried out," it said. An Apex Committee was subsequently formed to examine the observations and recom

Karnataka plans ascent into India's space orbit with $22 billion target

State eyes $3 bn in investment and a 50% national share as it ramps up upstream, downstream activities

Isro to triple spacecraft output, launch Chandrayaan-4 in 2028: Chairman

ISRO is gearing up for one of its busiest times with seven more launches planned this financial year, even as India's first human spaceflight remains scheduled for 2027, its chairman V Narayanan said. In an interview with PTI, he said ISRO is preparing for a phase of rapid scaling in science, technology and industry capacity. Narayanan said ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is targeting seven more launches before the end of the current financial year, including a commercial communication satellite, and multiple PSLV and GSLV missions. A milestone will be the launch of the first PSLV manufactured entirely by the Indian industry. The ISRO chief said the government has approved the Chandrayaan-4 mission, designed as a lunar sample-return mission and it will be India's most complex lunar endeavour yet. "We are targeting 2028 for Chandrayaan-4," he said. Another key mission is LUPEX, the joint lunar polar exploration programme with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). IS

GalaxEye to launch world's first multi-sensor EO satellite in 2026

This latest development underscores GalaxEye's commitment to revolutionizing the Earth Observation technology through its proprietary SyncFused Opto-SAR technology

In space, nationality fades; humanity comes first: Shubhanshu Shukla

IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who became the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS), said on Friday that when one leaves the planet to be in space, Earth becomes their identity. Shukla, who was in Goa, said that nationality doesn't matter in space, as humanity takes precedence. Describing his experience at the ISS, he said that looking out from the station felt like being in an office with the best view possible. It was just too fascinating, he said, virtually addressing students from schools affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, as part of a session titled Igniting Minds, Exploring Frontiers: The Convergence of Space, Education, and Industry'. During the interactive session, he said people may have different identities in this world, but they blur when one is in space. When you are a kid and going to school, our home and parents become our identity. When we go to college, the college becomes our identity. When you le

BS Blueprint | Isro chairman Dr V Narayanan on India’s inspiring space journey | Gaganyaan mission

Dr V Narayanan, chairperson of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on Saturday stressed how India’s evolving space programme plays a crucial role in advancing scientific knowledge.

India's space ambitions strengthen national safety: Isro chief Narayanan

Isro chairman Dr V Narayanan said India's space missions - from Chandrayaan to Gaganyaan - strengthen national security, advance science, and pave the way for a crewed lunar landing by 2040

From space to drones, PM Modi-era will be known for deep-tech forays

The confluence of technology, nationalism and communication skills of PM Modi can be appreciated from his interventions during emergencies

Where does India's Vikram 32-bit microprocessor stand against global peers?

While India hails its first made-in-India space chip, global peers work on building 64-bit processors and even chips with built-in AI support

What is Vikram 32-bit processor? India's first indigenous space chip

What is the Vikram 32-bit Processor: India unveiled the Vikram 3201, its first indigenous 32-bit processor for rockets and satellites, at Semicon India 2025. Built by Isro and SCL Chandigarh

India's space startups team up to share skills and expertise, minimise risk

What stood out was the group's zero-cost bid. Though the government is offering up to ₹350 crore in financial support, these companies have opted to bear the entire investment themselves

Future looks very bright, perseverance key to success: Shubhanshu Shukla

"The entire landscape is changing, and I think the future is extremely bright," said astronaut and Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla here on Monday, while stressing that it was only perseverance that has defined his success. Shukla reached his hometown this morning for the first time since his historic AXIOM 4 space mission. Although he arrived in India from the US on August 17, he is visiting the Uttar Pradesh capital now after participating in multiple outreach events, including a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 18 in Delhi. Speaking to children at his alma mater, City Montessori School (CMS), the first Indian to visit the International Space Station said, "In my experience that I have had in the last five years of training and last one year of flying to the International Space Station and coming back -- looking at how this entire landscape is changing, I think the future is extremely bright." "We are at the right time, right opportunities exist