ISRO Chairman V Narayanan has revealed that India is working on its most ambitious rocket yet—one as tall as a 40-storey building and capable of placing 75,000 kg in low Earth orbit. He was speaking at the convocation of Osmania University in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
Next-Generation Launch Vehicle
Narayanan explained how far India has come in rocket technology. The first launcher, developed under Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, could lift 17 tonnes and place just 35 kg in low Earth orbit. Today, ISRO is designing a rocket that can handle 75,000 kg, a leap that puts India in the big league of spacefaring nations.
Upcoming Missions
This year, ISRO has lined up several key projects:
- Launch of a NAVIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) satellite
- The new N1 rocket
- Deployment of a 6,500 kg U.S. communication satellite using Indian rockets
- Launch of Technology Demonstration Satellite (TDS) and GSAT-7R, a military communication satellite for the Indian Navy
By 2035, ISRO also plans to build a 52-tonne Indian space station. Work is also progressing on the Venus Orbiter mission.
Growing India’s Satellite Fleet
Currently, India has 55 satellites in orbit. Narayanan said the number will triple within three to four years. Since the launch of Aryabhata in 1975, India has launched 133 satellites of various kinds and over 4,000 rockets in total.
He highlighted past achievements:
- The Mars Orbiter Mission, successful on the first attempt
- 104 satellites launched in one go, a world record
- Aditya L1 satellite to study the Sun, which has already sent back 20 terabit of data
- India’s lunar camera with 32-cm resolution, the best of its kind
The Shubhanshu Shukla Mission
Narayanan narrated the behind-the-scenes events before astronaut Subhashnu Shukla’s successful trip to the International Space Station. The mission, initially set for June 11, was delayed after a last-minute discovery of a rocket leak.
“Had we gone ahead, it would have been a catastrophic failure,” he said. Thanks to strict checks and training, the problem was fixed, and the mission succeeded. Shukla spent 20 days in space before returning safely with three international astronauts. His experience will now support India’s Gaganyaan programme.
India Among the Space Leaders
Narayanan stressed that India is now on par with advanced space nations. ISRO is one of only four organisations with the ability to build satellites to study the Sun. It remains the only country to reach Mars on its first attempt.
At the convocation, Narayanan was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science by Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma for his contributions to India’s space journey.
On future astronaut training, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of preparing a pool of 40–50 astronauts “will happen.”
