Image Source: Mint
Key Developments: A Milestone Year for Indian Space Ambitions
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced an ambitious plan to launch nine significant satellites by the end of this fiscal year. This bold strategy, unveiled by ISRO Chairman V Narayanan in July 2025, positions ISRO at the cutting edge of global space technology, with important international collaborations, technological firsts, and applications ranging from earth observation to advanced communications.
What’s on the Manifest: Mission Variety and Global Impact
• ISRO's upcoming launches cover a broad spectrum of applications: earth observation, communications, navigation, and technology demonstration.
• These missions support critical national objectives such as security, coastal surveillance, and disaster management, while also furthering India's role as a global science and technology partner.
• Notably, several launches feature collaborative opportunities with international space agencies such as NASA and high-profile customers from the commercial satellite communications sector.
Highlight Missions and Their Purpose
NISAR – India-US Collaboration Reaches New Heights
The inaugural launch in this series is the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission, a landmark earth observation project between ISRO and NASA. Launched on July 30, 2025, aboard India's GSLV-F16 rocket, NISAR will gather highly detailed, all-weather, day-and-night radar imagery of the entire globe every 12 days. With a price tag of over $1.5 billion, this is the most expensive Indo-US satellite mission to date and the first to operate with dual frequency radars (NASA’s L-band and ISRO’s S-band). The mission’s objectives span from monitoring earthquakes and ecosystem changes to supporting humanitarian causes by enhancing disaster management.
CMS-02 and Blue Bird Block2 – Powering Next-Gen Communication
One major upcoming launch is CMS-02, India’s advanced communication satellite, which will be placed in orbit by ISRO’s heavy-lift LVM3 rocket. Another highlight is the launch of the Blue Bird Block2 satellite, a cutting-edge US communication satellite, also scheduled for LVM3. The Blue Bird Block2 satellite, weighing six tons, marks ISRO’s growing stature as a trusted international launch partner.
Community & Industry: Technology Demonstrations and New Entrants
• ISRO is also set to launch a user-funded satellite on PSLV-C62 and will send the Oceansat-3A earth observation satellite into orbit with PSLV-C63. These satellites are geared toward core Indian strategic needs – from natural resource mapping to weather and ocean monitoring.
• The organization will deploy GISAT-1A and a navigation satellite (NVS-03) to reinforce navigation and spatial data capabilities. These launches will be carried out by GSLV-F18 and GSLV-F17, respectively.
• Technology demonstration is another focal point this year, with a PSLV mission planned under a new public-private industry consortium model. This marks a leap in ISRO’s space-sector reforms. The technology demonstrator satellite on this mission will showcase around 30 innovations, including electric propulsion.
• In addition, ISRO will undertake Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) missions, broadening access and cost efficiency for future launches.
Security and Strategic Interests
• The EOS-09 satellite, to be launched on PSLV-C61, will address pressing national security and surveillance needs. Fitted with advanced synthetic aperture radar, EOS-09 can monitor borders and coastlines under any weather, at any hour—vital for counter-terror operations and maritime security.
Looking Forward: Consolidation and Global Partnerships
ISRO’s packed launch schedule draws on years of domestic and international cooperation, state funding, and an emerging industry ecosystem. With these launches, India demonstrates both its technological prowess and its growing leadership in the global space community.
Sources: Rediff News, The Economic Times, United News of India
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