India’s Space Odyssey: A Year Of Triumphs And Milestones

In the celestial realm, India’s space endeavors have been ablaze with fervor, as 2025 unfolded like a scroll of triumphs. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s forthcoming journey to the International Space Station (ISS) marked a milestone, while the nation welcomed its first private earth imaging satellite constellation, a testament to the burgeoning private sector’s prowess. The Indian space economy, now approximating $13 billion, is poised to capture 8-10 per cent of the global commercial space market by the next decade.

As the calendar flipped to 2026, critical milestones beckoned, with the uncrewed Gaganyaan mission taking center stage. This forthcoming endeavor is but a chapter in the narrative of India’s space odyssey, which commenced in 2025 with a series of groundbreaking achievements. January saw the successful docking of the SPADEX satellites, SDX01 and SDX02, weighing approximately 220 kg each, catapulting India into the elite club of nations that have mastered space docking technology.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) celebrated a dual triumph, as it marked its 100th launch from the Sriharikota spaceport, successfully placing the NVS-02 navigation satellite into the planned Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit aboard ← →