Page 3 - Isro Projects

Axiom-4 mission carrying Shubhanshu Shukla delayed, now set for June 22

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station has been postponed to June 22, to allow NASA to evaluate the operations on the orbital lab after the recent repairs in the Russian section, Axiom Space announced on Wednesday. The Axiom-4 mission, which marks the return to space for India, Hungary, and Poland, was earlier scheduled for lift-off from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 19 onboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. "NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are now targeting no earlier than Sunday, June 22, for launch of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4," Axiom Space said in a statement. "The change in a targeted launch date provides NASA time to continue evaluating space station operations after recent repair work in the aft (back) most segment of the International Space Station's Zvezda service module," it said. The Axiom-4 commercial mission is led by Commander Peggy Whitson, with .

Working closely with Nasa to address Ax-4 delay, says Isro chairman

V Narayanan, the Secretary DOS/ Chairman Isro and Chairman Space Commission said that safety and mission integrity were their priorities

Isro successfully conducts third hot test of semicryogenic engine

The Indian Space Research Organisation on Monday achieved a significant milestone with the successful completion of the third hot test of the Power Head Test Article (PHTA) at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. The test is part of a crucial series of evaluations to validate the performance of India's upcoming semicryogenic engine, ISRO said. This marks the third in a series of hot tests undertaken by ISRO for the PHTA. According to ISRO, the test, conducted on May 28, was aimed at validating the engine's ignition and start-up sequence while optimising the process for integrated engine performance. During the three-second trial, the engine was ignited successfully and operated up to 60 per cent of its rated power level, exhibiting stable and controlled performance throughout. ISRO began this series of performance evaluations in March 2025, focusing on critical components such as low- and high-pressure turbo-pumps, the pre-burner, start-up system, and various .

Gearing up for space station, Gaganyaan, lunar missions: Isro chairman

ISRO is gearing up to launch its own space station into orbit, marking a bold leap in India's space ambitions, chairman V Narayanan said on Thursday. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief also said the Department of Space, of which he is the Secretary, is working alongside various organisations to ensure the safety and security of the country's citizens. "Take our country, for example we have 11,500 km of coastline, and then there's the northern border. We have a vast border to monitor, and the government is working diligently to ensure our safety. There are responsible individuals and systems in place," he told reporters on the sidelines of a programme of Rammohan Mission here. Narayanan said, "Currently, we have 57 satellites in orbit, serving the public by providing real-time updates and data on a wide range of issues, from weather forecasts to tele-education in the most remote areas." About the space station, he said it will weigh over 50 tonnes. On the recent .

Isro's 101st mission fails as PSLV-C61 suffers third-stage anomaly

Isro was unable to complete the launch of its Earth observation satellite EOS-09 aboard PSLV-C61 on Sunday due to an anomaly in the third stage of the four-stage rocket, investigation is underway

Shubhanshu Shukla set to become first Indian to fly to ISS on May 29

Indian Air Force's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to make history on May 29 as the first Indian to fly to the International Space Station, piloting the Axiom Mission 4

Isro takes lead role of 'International Charter Space and Major Disasters'

India, through ISRO, once again demonstrated its initiative in space-based disaster management by assuming the lead role of the "International Charter Space and Major Disasters" for six months from April 2025, the space agency said on Saturday. The lead role tenure started with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC)/ISRO organising the 53rd meeting of the Charter in Hyderabad during April 14-17, it said. According to ISRO, it witnessed the participation of major global space agencies (with 22 foreign delegates attending in person) engaged in space-based disaster management activities. "India is signatory to the Charter which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025, with ISRO being a founder member. The Charter functions as a collaborative framework involving 17 member organisations, who voluntarily provide Earth observation data and value-added products for managing disasters occurring globally," the space agency said in a statement. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan addressed the board

Isro achieves 2nd successful satellite docking under SPADEX: Jitendra Singh

This event marked yet another significant milestone in India's space research programme

From rockets on bicycles, India has come a long way in space: Isro chief

From carrying rocket parts on bicycles and satellites on bullock carts in the 1970s, India has become one of the world leaders in the space sector through its successful Mars orbiter and Chandrayaan missions, which have also made several world records, ISRO chairman V Narayanan said here on Saturday. Speaking at the 27th convocation of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) - Kozhikode, Narayanan said the country has come a long way from when it launched its first satellite - Aryabhata -- on a Soviet rocket. Now India has 131 satellites in orbit, has launched 433 satellites for 34 countries and successfully completed its 100th launch on January 29 this year, he said. Besides that, India was the first country to discover water molecules on the Moon through its Chandrayaan-1 mission and the first to land on its south pole through the Chandrayaan-3 mission, placing it among the leaders in the space sector, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said. "India i

Isro's astronaut-designate Shubhanshu Shukla to fly to space station in May

Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has been designated as the Mission Pilot for Axiom Mission 4, the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station

Isro achieves major breakthrough in semicryogenic engine for launch vehicle

ISRO has announced significant progress in the design and development of a Semicryogenic engine or Liquid Oxygen / Kerosene engine with a high thrust of 2,000 kN (kilonewton) that will power the Semicryogenic booster stage of the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3). The first major breakthrough in the semicryogenic engine development programme was achieved on March 28, when the first successful hot test of Engine Power Head Test Article (PHTA), was carried out at ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu, it said. Highlighting that the Friday's test demonstrated the smooth ignition and boost strap mode operation of the engine for a test duration of 2.5 seconds, the space agency said the objective of the test was to validate the integrated performance of the critical subsystems such as the pre-burner, turbo pumps, start system and control components by carrying out a hot-firing for a short-duration of 2.5 seconds. "The test proceeded as predicted and all the engine parameters were a

House panel 'dismayed' at avoidable expenditure on GSAT-18 satellite

Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has expressed "dismay" at the avoidable expenditure totalling Rs 17.27 crore on the launch of GSAT-18 communication satellite, which had six extended C-band transponders for use in 2027. The committee, chaired by Congress member K C Venugopal, noted that the satellite with 48 transponders (24 C Band, 12 Extended C Band and 12 Ku Band) was launched on an urgent basis in October 2016 to meet the immediate requirement of protecting the existing users/services of INSAT-3C in its C and Extended C Band and INSAT4CR in its Ku Band which were reaching their end of life in Nov 2016 and June 2019, respectively. "Consequent to the launch of GSAT 18, the committee found that it replaced 24 C band transponders and 6 extended C Band transponders of INSAT 3C and balance, six extended C-Band transponders of GSAT-18 satellite were not put to use since its launch as these transponders were already available in GSAT-14 satellite," said the report that was tabled i

Kulasekarapattinam spaceport will see first SSLV launch in 2027: Isro chief

The Kulasekarapattinam spaceport in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district, the second launch complex for ISRO outside Andhra Pradesh, will see the maiden launch with the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) in 24 months, chairman of the space agency V Narayanan said on Monday. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) SSLV will primarily support polar launches of upto 500 kg, with Indian industry involved in its production. "All facilities will be commissioned for launch in 24 months. The first launch will take place in two years. Don't think it will be literally small in size. It will be a 500 kg satellite," Narayanan told reporters after inaugurating a new research centre at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras - S Ramakrishnan Centre of Excellence for Research in Fluid and Thermal Science (ISRO-IITM).' Named after the former director of ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and a distinguished alumnus of IIT Madras, the Centre inaugurated in the presence of IIT-Madras directo

Centre has given go ahead for Chandrayaan-5 mission to moon: Isro chief

Isro has successfully executed three Chandrayaan missions, and the latest, Chandryaan-3, resulted in a safe and soft landing on the moon

Isro successfully tests cryogenic engine for upcoming LVM3-M6 mission

ISRO on Saturday said it has successfully conducted the flight acceptance hot testing of the cryogenic engine identified for the sixth operational mission of LVM3 launch vehicle (LVM-M6) at ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu. The LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3) is a three-stage medium-lift launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The cryogenic engine of every mission undergoes hot testing as part of its acceptance process for the flight, ISRO said in a statement. Hot tests for the indigenous cryogenic engine (CE20) used in the Cryogenic Upper Stage of LVM3 were so far performed at the High-Altitude Test (HAT) facility at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) where vacuum conditions are simulated with complex installations, limiting the maximum hot test duration to 25 seconds. "In the current test, the engine was tested for a longer duration of 100 seconds for the first time using an innovative Nozzle Protection System under non-vacuum ...

India among 4 nations to achieve satellite docking, undocking: Isro chief

Recalling the preparations the organisation did before the mission, Narayanan mentioned that they carried out over 120 computer simulations of the mission to make sure there wouldn't be any mistakes

Isro achieves de-docking of SpaDeX satellites, sets stage for Chandrayaan 4

ISRO on Thursday said it has accomplished de-docking of the SpaDeX satellites, clearing the way for future missions such as exploring the moon, human spaceflight, and building its own space station. Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced the successful de-docking of satellites in a post on X. "SpaDeX satellites accomplished the unbelievable de-docking. This paves the way for smooth conduct of ambitious future missions including the Bharatiya Antriksha Station, Chandrayaan 4 & Gaganyaan," Singh said. "Congrats team ISRO. And heartening for every Indian," he said. Singh said Prime Minster Narendra Modi's continuous patronage keeps the spirits soaring. The SpaDeX mission was launched on December 30 last year when the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) placed in orbit two satellites -- SDX01 and SDX02 -- to demonstrate the docking experiment in space. After several attempts, the space agency successfully docked the two satellites on January 16.

Chandrayaan-3 data hints at possibilities of ice at more locations on Moon

Ice could be present at more locations right beneath the Moon's surface at the poles than previously thought, a study of data collected by the Chandrayaan-3 mission has suggested. Large, yet highly local, changes in surface temperatures can directly affect the forming of ice, and looking into these ice particles can reveal "different stories about their origin and history", lead author, Durga Prasad Karanam, Faculty, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad told PTI. This can also tell us about how ice accumulated and moved through the Moon's surface over time, which can provide insights into the natural satellite's early geologic processes, he said. The findings are published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment. The Chandrayaan-3 mission, launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from Bengaluru, achieved a soft landing near the Moon's south pole on August 23, 2023. The landing site was named the 'Shiv Shakti Point' three days later on August 26. For

NISAR space plan with US example of India's cost-effectiveness: Somanath

Former ISRO chairman S Somanath has highlighted the cost-effectiveness of India's space programmes and noted that for the same satellite and share of work, the country will incur five-time less expenditure compared to the US for an upcoming mission. He was referring to the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission. The joint National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) project will map the entire globe and provide data for understanding changes in Earth's ecosystems, ice mass, vegetation biomass, sea level rise, ground water and natural hazards. Somanath on Wednesday stressed on greater private sector role to push India's contribution in the global space economy from current 2 per cent to 10 per cent. Taking about NISAR, a joint Earth-observing radar mission, he said one part of the payload is being developed by the US, and the other by India. The former ISRO chief was speaking at an interactive session on the topic, "Indi

Isro develops 10-tonne 'Vertical Planetary Mixer' for solid motors

ISRO on Friday said it has developed and realised the ten-tonne propellant mixer for solid motors. Solid propulsion plays a crucial role in Indian Space Transportation Systems and vertical mixer is one of the critical equipment in solid motor production, ISRO said in a statement. "Solid propellants are the backbone of rocket motors, and their production requires precise mixing of highly sensitive and hazardous ingredients," the statement read. The space agency said that towards increasing the production scale of solid motor segments, Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in collaboration with Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI), Bengaluru has successfully designed and developed 10-tonne Vertical Planetary Mixers for processing the solid propellants. ISRO has termed it a significant technological marvel. It added that the 10-tonne vertical mixer is the world's largest solid propellant mixing equipment. The development involves collaboration with academia and ...