ISRO Chairman V Narayanan has announced an ambitious plan of launching nine major missions before the end of the current financial year, March 2026, following the successful launch of the ISRO-NASA Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission.

Among these upcoming missions, the next significant one is the LVM3-M5, which will place the communication satellite CMS-02 into orbit. Following that, PSLV-C62 is scheduled to launch a user-funded satellite.

A particularly noteworthy mission is the PSLV-N1, which will be the first PSLV rocket realised and manufactured entirely by an industrial consortium formed by private companies Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T).

This launch represents a milestone in the space sector reforms announced by the Government of India, aiming to boost the private sector's role. PSLV-N1 will carry the Technology Demonstration Satellite-1 (TDS-1), which is designed to showcase over 30 advanced technologies including electric propulsion, quantum communication, indigenous atomic clocks, and other innovations.

This industrial consortium approach underscores ISRO's strategy of transitioning routine launch vehicle manufacturing to private industry while ISRO focuses on mission planning and advanced research.

In addition to PSLV-N1, ISRO plans to launch one more GSLV-F17 vehicle to place the navigation satellite NVS-03 in orbit.

Another highlight is the upcoming launch of the BlueBird Block-2 satellite, a 6500 kg US commercial communication satellite, using ISRO's LVM3-M5 rocket, aiming to globally enhance communication services.

Other scheduled launches include PSLV-C63 for OceanSat-3A, GSLV-F18 for GSAT-1A, and a couple of SSLV (Small Satellite Launch Vehicle) missions. All these missions are in advanced stages of completion and testing, with launch dates to be coordinated closely with the Prime Minister's Office.

This slate of missions also aligns with ISRO's broader goals of tripling the number of satellites India has in orbit within the next three years, advancing manned spaceflights, developing India's own space station module targeted for 2028, and continuing international collaborations like the joint Chandrayaan-5/LUPEX mission with Japan, reinforcing India's growing stature and capacity in space technology and exploration.

Agencies