ISRO Chairman V Narayanan announced that within the next couple of months, ISRO will launch a 6,500 kg communication satellite built by the United States using an Indian launcher from Indian soil.

This launch marks a significant milestone in India’s space journey, demonstrating how the country has progressed from receiving a small rocket donation from the US in 1963 to now independently launching large, advanced satellites built by the US.

This announcement was made at the 21st Convocation of the SRM Institute of Science and Technology near Chennai, where Narayanan was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree.

He highlighted the historic nature of this achievement by recalling ISRO's beginnings when it lagged behind by 6-7 years technologically and had received a tiny rocket from the US to start its program in 1963.

He noted the transformation from that early support to today’s ability to launch large communication satellites, including the upcoming 6,500 kg payload built in America.

This follows the successful launch on July 30, 2025, of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite aboard ISRO's GSLV-F16 rocket.

The NISAR mission, the most expensive ever built, includes a US-made L-band radar and an ISRO-made S-band radar. NASA scientists praised ISRO's precision in this launch. This success underscores India's growing capabilities in space technology and launch precision.

Narayanan also noted that ISRO has launched 433 satellites for 34 countries using indigenous launch vehicles and currently operates 56 satellites.

The agency plans to triple this number within two to three years, alongside ambitious future projects such as India’s first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, and developing an Indian space station by 2035. The chairman expressed confidence that by 2040, India’s space capabilities will rival those of developed nations.

The upcoming launch of the 6,500 kg US-built communication satellite from India exemplifies ISRO's remarkable growth from a recipient of foreign technology to a key global player capable of launching large satellites for other countries with its own rockets, marking a giant leap in India’s space program.

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