Historical Background:

India’s space journey began with limited resources, but over time, the country has developed remarkable capabilities in the fields of satellite manufacturing, launch vehicles, Earth observation, space exploration, and human spaceflight. In 1962, INCOSPAR was established under the leadership of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, laying the foundation for India’s space programme. This was followed by the establishment of ISRO on 15 August 1969. In 1975, ‘Aryabhata’ became India’s first satellite and was placed into orbit by the Soviet Union’s Cosmos-3M rocket. Subsequently, in 1980, the Rohini satellite was successfully placed into orbit through SLV-3, marking the beginning of India’s indigenous launch capability. In 1984, Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to travel into space under the Soviet Intercosmos programme.

India’s Growing Space Capabilities:

• During the 1990s, India developed the INSAT and IRS series, linking space technology with developmental needs. INSAT satellites played an important role in telecommunications, weather forecasting, television broadcasting, and disaster management, while the Remote Sensing Satellites of the IRS series were used for the management of agriculture, minerals, forests, and water resources. During the same period, the PSLV was developed, which later became ISRO’s ‘workhorse’ and a symbol of India’s reliable launch capability. Subsequently, India developed the capability to place heavier satellites into higher orbits through the GSLV.
• India then entered the field of space exploration. In 2008, Chandrayaan-1 became India’s first lunar mission. The mission provided important evidence related to water molecules on the Moon and gave India recognition in the global field of Lunar Exploration. Subsequently, in 2013, Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission) became India’s first Mars mission. Its success in reaching Mars orbit on the very first attempt, along with its relatively low cost, gave global recognition to India’s cost-effective innovation capabilities and indigenous space technology. In 2017, PSLV-C37 launched 104 satellites simultaneously, marking an important achievement in India’s Commercial Launch Capability.
• In 2019, the lander of Chandrayaan-2 could not achieve a successful soft landing, but its orbiter remained successful and provided important scientific data. The technological experience gained from this mission paved the way for the subsequent success of Chandrayaan-3. Thereafter, the development of SSLV (Small Satellite Launch Vehicle) in 2022 created a new capability for launching small satellites at lower costs.
• The successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on 23 August 2023 proved to be a historic turning point in India’s space programme. The Vikram lander and Pragyan rover conducted scientific experiments on the lunar surface. India became the fourth country to achieve a successful soft landing on the Moon and the first country to land near the Moon’s southern polar region. The landing site of Chandrayaan-3 was named ‘Shiv Shakti Point’. In commemoration of this historic achievement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared 23 August as ‘National Space Day’.
  • The first National Space Day was observed on 23 August 2024, with the theme - “Touching Lives while Touching the Moon: India’s Space Saga.”
  • The theme of the second National Space Day, observed on 23 August 2025, was “Aryabhatta to Gaganyaan: Ancient Wisdom to Infinite Possibilities.”
• Through the Aditya-L1 mission, launched by the PSLV-C57 rocket on 2 September 2023, India also took a significant step towards the study of the Sun. It is India’s first space-based Solar Observatory Mission, aimed at studying the Sun’s corona, Solar Wind, Solar Flares, and Space Weather. With the launch of XPoSat in 2024, India further expanded its scientific capabilities in the field of X-ray Polarisation studies.
• India subsequently focused on technologies essential for future human space missions and space stations. Through SpaDeX (Space Docking Experiment), India successfully demonstrated the capability of docking and undocking two spacecraft in space. This technology will be important for the future Bharatiya Antariksh Station, Chandrayaan-4, Lunar Sample Return Mission, and human spaceflight. In the same context, NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is a joint Earth Observation Mission of India and the United States, which will make an important contribution to monitoring subtle changes on the Earth’s surface, agriculture, disaster management, landslides, floods, and natural resources.
• India is also rapidly progressing towards human spaceflight. Following Rakesh Sharma, Shubhanshu Shukla gave a new dimension to India’s Human Spaceflight journey. Through the Axiom-4 mission, he became the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS). This experience is also important for India’s Gaganyaan mission. The objective of Gaganyaan is to demonstrate India’s indigenous capability to send Indian astronauts into Low Earth Orbit and safely bring them back to Earth. For this purpose, advanced technologies such as a Human-rated Launch Vehicle, Crew Module, Service Module, Crew Escape System, and Life Support System are being developed.

From ISRO to the Private Sector: India’s New Space Ecosystem

• The new phase of India’s space journey is no longer limited to the achievements of ISRO. Following the 2020 Space Sector Reforms and Indian Space Policy 2023, private-sector participation has been widely promoted. Private companies have been provided opportunities in Launch Vehicles, Satellites, Space Applications, and other Space Activities. IN-SPACe is functioning as an important institution for promoting, facilitating, and authorising private space activities, while NSIL (NewSpace India Limited) plays a role in the Commercialisation of space technologies.
• Space Start-ups have expanded rapidly in India. Companies such as Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, Pixxel, Dhruva Space, Bellatrix Aerospace, and Digantara are working in areas such as Launch Vehicles, Propulsion, Earth Observation, Satellites, and Space Situational Awareness. As of January 2026, around 399 Space Technology Start-ups were active in India, while the estimated size of the Indian Space Economy was approximately $8.4 billion. This makes it clear that India’s space programme is now moving beyond government institutions towards a broader Public-Private Space Ecosystem.
• The successful Orbital Launch of Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-I in 2026 is an important example of this transformation. This achievement demonstrated that Indian private companies are no longer limited to Space Components or Applications, but are also capable of developing their own Orbital Launch Vehicles and reaching space. This has created new opportunities for India’s Commercial Space Launch Market, Space Manufacturing, and Private Space Investment.

From Space Economy to Space Power: India’s Future

• For India, space is no longer merely a subject of scientific achievement; it has become an important sector for economic development, national security, communication, Navigation, disaster management, and global diplomacy. Satellite Technology is being used for crop monitoring in agriculture, weather forecasting, disaster management, monitoring water and forest resources, and providing communication facilities to remote areas. NavIC strengthens India’s indigenous Navigation Capability. At the same time, initiatives such as liberalising FDI in the Space Sector and establishing a ₹1,000 crore Space Sector Venture Capital Fund are aimed at promoting private investment and Start-ups.
• India’s long-term objective is now to move from Space Exploration to Space Presence and from Space Economy to Space Power. The government aims to establish the Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 and move towards sending an Indian human mission to the Moon by 2040. In addition, missions such as Chandrayaan-4, Venus Orbiter Mission, and LUPEX will further strengthen India’s Deep Space Exploration capabilities. However, challenges such as Space Debris, Space Traffic Management, Cyber Security, Space Weather, advanced technological capabilities, and investment in Research and Development also remain.

In conclusion, India’s space journey, which began with Aryabhata, has now moved beyond the lunar surface to the study of the Sun, space docking, human spaceflight, private Orbital Launch, and the Space Economy. If Aryabhata symbolised the beginning of India’s space programme, Chandrayaan-3 represents its technological maturity, while Gaganyaan symbolises India’s human spaceflight capability. In the coming years, the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and the human lunar mission will be important steps towards establishing India as a global Space Power.

The real flight of life is yet to begin,

Many examinations of life are still left.

We have only measured a handful of land so far,

The entire sky is still left to explore.