From Launchpads to Living Pods: India’s Space Station Gets Its Blueprint

India's space odyssey is set to take a new orbit with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) accelerating plans to develop its own module-based space station—Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS)—by 2035. The development was declared by ISRO Chairman Dr V. Narayanan in the convocation ceremony of IIITDM Kurnool, a milestone for India's space odyssey.

Key points of the announcement:

The BAS will be constructed in stages, in accordance with the International Space Station incremental build philosophy

Early units would include a crew command unit, habitat unit, propulsion system, and docking ports

Developmental testing will start in 2025, with a robot version to be in service by 2028

The Gaganyaan mission, India's maiden manned spaceflight, will precede the station and will pilot main technologies like life support and re-entry systems

Strategic and scientific significance:

The station will enable long-term human presence in space and microgravity-based research

It will serve as a platform for advanced materials science, biological, and space medicine experiments

ISRO will use the BAS as a stepping stone for lunar resource-based economic activity by 2040

The project is a part of India's overall vision to become a space power globally by 2047

Looking ahead:

The modular design offers space to include and address other nations

The initiative will be expected to spur innovation, private sector participation, and STEM education across India

Sources: Deccan Chronicle, India Today, The Hindu, Telegraph India, NewsBytes India