Isro Projects

Isro's PSLV-C62 lifts off with Earth observation satellite, 14 payloads

ISRO's trusted workhorse PSLV lifted off from the spaceport here on Monday, carrying an earth observation satellite along with 14 other commercial payloads for both domestic and overseas customers. Marking the first launch of the year, the mission is part of the contract secured by NewSpace India Ltd, the commercial arm of ISRO. The 44.4 metre tall four-stage PSLV-C62 rocket soared from the first launch pad at a prefixed time of 10.18 hours on Monday. After a journey of 17 minutes, it is expected to place the satellites into Sun Synchronous Orbit at an altitude of about 511 km. After the separation of all the satellites, scientists would restart the fourth stage (PS4) of the rocket to de-boost and enter a re-entry trajectory for the separation of the last satellite, the Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator (KID) capsule. This process is expected to last over two hours after lift-off. Both the PS4 stage and the KID capsule would re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and make a splash

Isro to kick off 2026 launches with Earth Observation Satellite on Jan 12

ISRO will kick off its 2026 launch calendar on January 12 with the PSLV C62 mission to deploy the EOS-N1 earth observation satellite and 14 other payloads into space. Undertaken by the NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO, the 14 other co-passenger satellites belong to domestic and overseas customers. "The integration of the vehicle and the satellites has been completed and pre-launch checks are in progress. The PSLV-C62 mission is proposed to lift-off on January 12 at 10.17 hrs, from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota," ISRO said on Saturday. The 25-hour countdown is scheduled to commence on January 11, for the mission which would be the 64th flight of PSLV. The Earth Observation Satellite has been built jointly by Thailand and the United Kingdom, ISRO said. The entire mission is expected to be more than two hours after lift off at 10.17 am on January 12. The primary payload - 'Earth Observation Satellite' built by Thailand and the U

Isro to kick off 2026 with PSLV-C62 launch carrying EOS-N1 on Jan 12

ISRO is gearing up for its first launch of the new year with the PSLV-C62 mission on January 12 from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. According to an ISRO official, the primary payload of the mission is the EOS-N1, an imaging satellite built for strategic purposes by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. "The Launch of PSLV-C62 Mission is scheduled on 12 January 2026 at 10:17 hrs IST from First Launch Pad (FLP), SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota," ISRO said in a post on 'X'. The rocket will also carry a small probe device, Kestrel Initial Demonstrator (KID), developed by a Spanish-based startup, and will remain attached to the PS-4 stage, they said. As many as 17 other commercial payloads from startups and research institutions across India, Mauritius, Luxembourg, the UAE, Singapore, Europe, and the United States are also manifested for this flight, sources said. The post further said that the public can witness the launch from Launch View Gallery at SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota by ...

'Isro aims to commission third launch pad at Shriharikota in 4 years'

ISRO is in the process of developing a third launch pad at the Shriharikota spaceport and is currently identifying the right vendors for it, a top scientist said. Shriharikota complex, which covers an area of 175 sq km, is located about 135 km east of Chennai. It has been serving the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency for the launch of various satellites using different launch vehicles. To move ahead with its plan of placing bigger satellites weighing over 12,000 - 14,000 kg in various orbits in space, ISRO requires bigger launch vehicles, Padmakumar ES, the Director and Distinguished Scientist of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Shriharikota, said. To serve this purpose, ISRO is planning a third launch pad, he said. "We plan to develop, install and commission a third launch pad in four years. Activities are going on for that," he told PTI in a recent interaction. "We are starting the procurement phase and identifying the right vendors to deliver us the support that is needed for the

LVM3-M6 success boosts confidence in Gaganyaan programme: Isro chief

The successful launch of the Bluebird Block-2 satellite onboard an LVM3-M6 rocket has enhanced confidence in India's human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said on Wednesday. He emphasised the critical role of launch vehicle LVM3, which would be used for the ambitious Gaganyaan programme, the mission to send Indian astronauts to orbit and bring them safely back to earth. Addressing reporters, Narayanan said, "Today, it is a very important mission for us. Because you all know this is the vehicle which is human-rated and identified for the Gaganyaan programme for India. So, with 9 consecutive successful LVM3 launches, it improves our confidence in the Gaganyaan programme. It is also the mandated requirement." Listing highlights of the LVM3-Bluebird Block-2 mission, he said, the placing of Bluebird-Block-2 satellite precisely into the intended orbit is the best accuracy so far achieved ever on Indian soil. According to him, the LVM3 vehicle demonstrated one

'Proud Moment': Leaders hail Isro's BlueBird Block-2 mission success

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasised that this reflects the Government of India's unwavering commitment to strengthening the space sector

Isro's LVM3 to launch next-generation communication satellite on Dec 24

ISRO's upcoming LVM3 M6 mission will carry the BlueBird Block-2 satellite into orbit on December 24, as part of a commercial deal with US-based AST SpaceMobile. The historic mission will deploy the next-generation communication satellite designed to provide high-speed cellular broadband directly to smartphones worldwide. AST SpaceMobile (AST & Science, LLC) is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network, which is accessible directly by smartphones and designed for both commercial and government applications. "We are on a mission to eliminate the connectivity gaps faced by today's nearly six billion mobile subscribers and bring broadband to the billions who remain unconnected," the company said in its website. AST SpaceMobile has launched five satellites -- BlueBird 1-5 in September 2024, which enable continuous internet coverage across the US and other select countries. The US-based company has planned to launch similar satellites to augment its network ...

DRDO's high-speed rocket-sled test puts India in elite club of nations

The DRDO has successfully conducted a high-speed rocket-sled test of a fighter aircraft escape system at controlled velocity, validating some of the key safety parameters including complete aircrew recovery. The test has placed India in "an elite club of nations" with advanced in-house escape system testing capability, the defence ministry said on Tuesday. In a rocket-sled test, the system coupled with a rocket propulsion mechanism is run at a high speed on a pair of rails to simulate a moving aircraft in mid-air, a senior official said. Defence Minster Rajnath Singh complimented the DRDO, IAF, Aeronautical Development Agency, and HAL on the successful test. He described it as a significant milestone for India's indigenous defence capability towards self-reliance. "Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has successfully conducted a high-speed rocket-sled test of fighter aircraft escape system at precisely controlled velocity of 800 km/h- validating canopy severance, .

NISAR satellite deploys 12-metre diameter antenna, enters science phase

NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite launched onboard GSLV-F16 on July 30 this year successfully deployed 12-metre diameter antenna reflector and entered science phase, ISRO said on Friday. The antenna plays a key role for both ISRO's S-Band and NASA's L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload, it said. "The first image of S-Band SAR acquired on August 19, 2025, captures the fertile Godavari River Delta in Andhra Pradesh, India. Various vegetation classes like mangroves, agriculture, arecanut plantations, aquaculture fields, etc. are clearly seen in the image. The image highlights NISAR's S-Band SAR ability to map river deltas and agricultural landscapes with precision," ISRO said in a statement. On the 100th day of NISAR in orbit, the S-SAR images were released to the public by the Chairman, ISRO. With this, the commencement of the science phase has also been announced, it said. The antenna was launched in a stowed condition on a 9-metre-long boom, which was ..

Private sector entry in navigation to boost India's vision 2027: Isro chief

ISRO Chairman Narayanan on Tuesday said he was pleased to see private companies stepping into the complex work of building navigation systems for spacecraft and defence, adding that their efforts would support PM Modi's vision of making India a developed nation by 2047. He noted that navigation systems are highly complex and critical, which ISRO alone could not develop. "When we talk about Viksit Bharat 2047, it is our responsibility to ensure no imports are required. Navigation is a very critical area, and ISRO alone cannot develop it. So I am extremely happy that in Thiruvananthapuram, Ananth Technologies has entered this field," Narayanan said. He was speaking to the media after inaugurating a Centre of Excellence in Navigation by Hyderabad-based Ananth Technologies, a company closely working with organisations like ISRO, DRDO, and BrahMos, at Kinfra Park here. According to Narayanan, the facility, which he personally inspected after the inauguration, is world-class and would ..

ISRO to launch US communication satellite on commercial LVM3 flight in Dec

ISRO would launch a US communication satellite using LVM3 on a commercial basis next month, the space agency's Chairman V Narayanan said on Monday. Delivering the keynote address on the occasion of 68th Annual Day celebrations of Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications (IRISET) here, he also said the country's space programme would be on par with any other advanced nation in terms of launches, satellites and others by 2040. "Launch date is not yet decided. It will be next month. It is a communication satellite, we are planning to launch. A commercial basis communication satellite we are going to launch in our LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark - III), vehicle," he told reporters. It is not a collaboration with the US, but an American satellite which would be launched on a commercial basis, he said. According to him, the ISRO, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm of affairs, is working on a lot of programmes. Right now, 57 satellites are in orbit, an

ISRO successfully tests boot-strap mode start on CE20 cryogenic engine

The ISRO on Wednesday announced that it has successfully demonstrated the boot-strap mode start test of the CE20 Cryogenic engine, which powers the upper stage of the Launch Vehicle Mark -3 (LVM3) rocket. The test was conducted for 10 second under vacuum conditions at the High-Altitude Test (HAT) facility at ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri on November 7, it said. According to ISRO, the CE20 cryogenic engine is already qualified for operation at thrust levels between 19 and 22 tonnes with a single start in flight and is cleared for use in the Gaganyaan missions. Under normal conditions, the engine ignition begins under tank head pressure, followed by a turbopump start up using a stored gas start-up system, the space agency said. For future missions, multiple in-flight restarts of the CE20 engine will be required for mission flexibility, towards multi-orbit missions. With the current configuration, each restart requires an additional start-up gas bottle and associated systems,

India fast emerging preferred destination in space sector: Jitendra Singh

India is fast emerging as a preferred global destination for space sector engagement and investment, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday. Inaugurating the India International Space Conclave, Singh said India's space sector was undergoing a decisive transformation and the government's reforms have created an enabling ecosystem where talent, technology and investment can converge to shape the future of the space economy. Reforms introduced since 2019, including opening the sector to private players, establishing IN-SPACe as a single-window regulatory body and releasing the space policy in 2023, have helped India expand its role in the global space landscape, the minister said. He said the unlocking of the space sector has brought start-ups, students, industry and citizens into what was once a closed domain. Singh said that India's most significant contribution has been the application of space technology for governance and citizen welfare. Nearly 70 per ce

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

Isro collects Chandrayaan-2 data to aid study of Moon's polar regions

ISRO on Saturday said it has collected advanced data from the Chandrayaan-2 lunar orbiter to gain a deeper understanding of the Moon's polar regions, including parameters describing the physical and dielectric properties of its surface. This is India's major value addition towards future global exploration of the Moon, it said. According to an ISRO statement, the Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter has been in orbit around the Moon since 2019 and has been providing high-quality data. One of the payloads, the Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (DFSAR), is the first instrument that has mapped the Moon using the L-band in full-polarimetric mode and in the highest resolution (25m/pixel). This advanced radar mode sends and receives signals in both vertical and horizontal directions, making it ideal for studying surface properties, it said. The space agency said that since its launch, about 1,400 radar datasets have been collected and processed to create polarimetric mosaics of the north and sou

Isro scripts history with launch of heaviest communications satellite

ISRO's LVM3-M5 rocket lifted off from Sriharikota with CMS-03, a 4,410-kg satellite aimed at boosting the Indian Navy's communications and maritime surveillance network

Explainer: What is Isro's 'Bahubali' and what is it carrying to space?

Isro prepares for a landmark launch as its most powerful rocket gears up to lift the nation's heaviest communication satellite yet

300+ startups working on satellite manufacture, launch services: Isro chief

Isro chairman V Narayanan credits IN-SPACe for integrating startups into India's space ecosystem; says human lunar mission target set for 2040

Govt plans 'bodyguard' satellites after risky near-miss in orbit

The government wants to develop so-called bodyguard satellites to identify and counter threats to orbiting spacecraft

Isro to send half-humanoid 'Vyommitra' into space this Dec: V Narayanan

V Narayanan said, 'By the first quarter of 2027, we aim to send our own 'Gaganyatri' to space and bring it back safely'