New Delhi: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reaffirmation of an Indian space station in the years to come, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman Dr V Narayanan said that it will happen by 2035.
Calling Modi a “great visionary leader”, Narayanan said that this will take place as per the Prime Minister’s directions.
“ISRO is operating in advanced stages now. There was a time when we had only one startup company. Today, we have over 300 companies contributing to our efforts. We have a lot of approved projects. Chandrayan 4, Chandrayan 5, Venus Orbiter Mission, Crewed Space Mission.. We are also working on advanced rockets to carry 75,000 kgs to orbit,” he told Times Now.
In his address to the nation from the Red Fort earlier in the day, Modi had said that India is working towards becoming self-reliant in the space sector, as well as preparing for the launch of Gaganyaan. Gaganyaan is to be India’s first manned mission to space.
“We will make our own space station. Thousands of youths are working on it. This is the power of our youth… This is the confidence we have in our youth,” Modi had said.
“Gaganyaan activities are going really well. The orbiter module is in the final phase of development. The crew escape system is almost complete. We are planning to have the first uncrewed mission by this year, followed by the actual crewed mission by the first quarter of 2027,” Narayanan said.
The PM had credited reforms brought in recent times for the 300 start-ups working in the space sector.
“The nation is proud of our space sector, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is back from the space station… in the days to come he will return to India,” Modi had said.
