Have Over 7,200 Space Mission Tests Been Completed by ISRO Chief V. Narayanan?

Kolkata, May 23 (NationPress) The Chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), V. Narayanan, announced that the agency has successfully completed 7,200 space mission tests to date, with an additional 3,000 tests pending. This highlights the significance of 2025, which has been designated as the Gaganyaan year.

He made these remarks during an event in Kolkata on Thursday.

"This year holds great importance for us. We have designated it as the Gaganyaan year. Before launching human missions, we have scheduled three uncrewed missions, with the first one set for this year... To date, we have completed over 7,200 tests, and approximately 3,000 tests remain. Our teams are working around the clock," Narayanan stated.

"As you may know, we achieved significant milestones this year. On January 6, we released a year’s worth of scientific data gathered by the Aditya L1 spacecraft. This spacecraft is unique, making India one of only four nations to deploy a satellite for solar studies. A substantial amount of scientific data was shared with the scientific community on January 6. Moreover, on January 16, we recorded another crucial accomplishment...," the ISRO Chief informed IANS.

The Gaganyaan Programme, approved in December 2018, aims to facilitate human spaceflight to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and to establish the necessary technologies for long-term human exploration in space.

V. Narayanan also expressed satisfaction with the successful completion of the SpaDeX mission.

He noted that ISRO had initially accounted for ten kilograms of fuel for the mission, but they managed to accomplish it using only half that amount, leaving the remainder for future experiments.

Looking ahead, he mentioned that multiple missions are slated for 2025, including a NASA-ISRO synthetic aperture radar satellite, which will be launched using India's own rocket.

"Today, we are pleased to announce that the SpaDeX mission has been successfully concluded. We planned for ten kilos of fuel for this mission, but we achieved it using only half, and the surplus will be utilized for upcoming experiments. This year, several significant missions are in the pipeline, including a NASA-ISRO synthetic aperture radar satellite, which will be launched by our indigenous vehicle, alongside a commercial mission and a communication satellite," he added.

According to ISRO's official website, the SpaDeX mission serves as a cost-effective technology demonstrator, utilizing two small spacecraft launched by the PSLV to demonstrate in-space docking.

The ISRO chief remarked that by December 2025, the first uncrewed mission, named Vyommitra, will be launched, followed by two additional uncrewed missions.

In contrast, the organization aims for the inaugural human spaceflight to take place by the first quarter of 2027.

"By December this year, we will initiate the first uncrewed mission, followed by two more uncrewed missions, targeting the first human spaceflight by early 2027. In fact, we have launches scheduled almost every month this year. The first uncrewed mission featuring a robot named 'Vyommitra' is set for launch by the end of this year," V. Narayanan concluded.