Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Jul 25: ISRO Chairman V Narayanan on Friday said that India aims to nearly triple the number of its operational satellites in space—from 55 to over 150—within the next three years, signalling a massive scale-up of its space capabilities.

Delivering the ‘GP Birla Memorial Lecture on Indian Space Programme – Accomplishments, Challenges and Future Perspectives’, Narayanan declared that by 2040, India would be on par with top space-faring nations in terms of technology, infrastructure, and applications.

“At present, 55 satellites are serving the country. In three years, this has to become almost three times. The demand is immense, and we are working towards that,” he said.

Narayanan also announced that ISRO plans to launch 12 missions this year, including the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), which is scheduled for liftoff on July 30 aboard India’s GSLV-F16 rocket.

Sharing an ambitious vision, he revealed plans to build India’s own space station by 2035, with the first module expected to be placed in orbit by 2028.

Speaking to reporters later, Narayanan said the Gaganyaan mission to send Indian astronauts to space is now slated for launch in the first quarter of 2027. The government has approved Rs 4,000 crore for a third launch pad at Sriharikota to support the expanding mission load.

He also revealed ISRO’s growing global collaborations, highlighting that Japan and India are jointly building a 6,600 kg lander for the Chandrayaan-5/LUPEX mission, with launch by Japan. “You will hear great news in two years,” he said.

ISRO is also set to launch a 6,500 kg American communication satellite in three months using Indian launch vehicles, he said.

So far, ISRO has launched 433 foreign satellites from 34 countries and a total of 518 satellites in the last decade, Narayanan said. With a shift from service orientation to business opportunity, he emphasized that space reforms are in full swing.

V Narayanan was honoured with the prestigious GP Birla Memorial Award at the event.