The Indian space sector has marked an extraordinary achievement in 2025, recording over 200 significant milestones, as announced by ISRO Chairman V Narayanan. This notable progress was revealed during the opening session of the Emerging Science, Technology, and Innovation Conclave 2025 held in Bengaluru.
Speaking on the advancements in India”s space exploration, Narayanan attributed this success to the visionary guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He stated, “From January until now, over 200 significant accomplishments have been made under the visionary leadership of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” Narayanan highlighted that on January 6, ISRO released approximately 10 terabytes of scientific data from the Aditya-L1 mission, marking a significant step in solar research, followed by another release in February, bringing the total data shared to around 15 terabytes.
A key technological milestone was achieved on January 16 with India”s first on-orbit docking experiment, named SPADEx (Space Docking Experiment). This complex operation involved the successful docking of two satellites traveling at speeds of 28,400 kilometers per hour, utilizing advanced algorithms and systems for alignment and docking. With this feat, India became the fourth nation globally to successfully demonstrate in-space docking.
Following this, ISRO executed a de-docking procedure and even facilitated power transfer between the two satellites, further enhancing India”s capabilities in space operations. Additionally, the launch of GSLV-F15 on January 29 represented a pivotal moment as the 100th large vehicle mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Reflecting on India”s space endeavors since its inception in 1962, Narayanan noted the first milestone occurred on November 21, 1963, with the launch of India”s first sounding rocket from Tumba near Thiruvananthapuram. He also recognized the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite on July 30 as another proud achievement, symbolizing a significant collaborative effort in India”s space history.
In a move to further enhance its launch capabilities, Narayanan announced that approval has been granted for the establishment of a third launch pad in Tamil Nadu, with a budget of Rs 400 crore.
Discussing the role of the private sector in the space industry, Narayanan mentioned that the Department of Space is actively fostering private companies and startups through IN-SPACe. “We are hand-holding private players at every stage from development to testing,” he emphasized. He also expressed the department”s commitment to nurturing the space ecosystem in India, stating, “When the private sector thrives, and startups succeed, the entire space ecosystem flourishes, benefiting the common man.”
He reiterated that India”s extensive experience in space science, built over 60 years, is being shared with the private sector to ensure collective national progress, stating, “We must view the sector as one nation working together.”
