India has been steadily expanding its space capabilities and has made significant advancements in recent years. India’s rising space potential demonstrates its commitment to scientific research, technological advancements, and harnessing space-based applications for national security and development. These capabilities contribute to areas such as communication, navigation, disaster management, weather forecasting, resource mapping, and scientific research.
India’s space program plays a vital role in fostering innovation, generating a skilled workforce, and promoting international collaborations. It has developed and launched a constellation of remote sensing satellites along with the development of reliable launch vehicles to place satellites into space that has already launched numerous Indian and foreign satellites.
India successfully launched the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also known as Mangalyaan in 2014, and became the first Asian country to reach Mars while bagging the title of the first country to achieve the feather in its first attempt, followed by Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019. In 2023, India is also planning to launch a lunar exploration mission, Chandrayaan-3.
India has initiated its first human spaceflight program, called Gaganyaan which is expected to be launched in 2024. The program aims to send Indian astronauts into space aboard an indigenously developed spacecraft. This mission will make India the fourth country to send humans to space after Russia, the USA, and China.
India is actively promoting commercial space activities and has opened opportunities for private players to participate in space missions. The recently formed Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) serves as the regulatory body for promoting and regulating private space activities in India.
India’s rising investment in space education programs has a long-term vision towards capacity building in the domain along with strengthening the ground infrastructure, including tracking and control stations, communication networks, and data centres. This will give support to India’s space technology research and development to further execute India’s ambitious space missions.
India also actively collaborates with other global space agencies to find the possibilities of life beyond planet earth that includes joint missions, and sharing of data and expertise. The country is developing its capacities through innovation and research that will cater to the increasing demands of India’s space missions and find opportunities to make a steady mark in space exploration over the years.