India's space sector marked 2025 as a transformative year, with the Department of Space highlighting significant strides towards "Space Vision 2047". This period featured groundbreaking technology demonstrations, strengthened international partnerships, and innovative youth outreach initiatives. The Centre's year-end review underscores how these achievements propelled India's ambitions in space exploration and utilisation.

A pivotal milestone unfolded on 11 February, when the LVM3-M5 rocket lofted the CMS-03 communication satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit. This marked the heaviest communication satellite ever deployed from Indian soil, engineered as a multi-band platform to deliver services across vast oceanic expanses and the Indian landmass.

The mission also achieved a historic first: an in-space restart of the indigenous C25 cryogenic upper stage, enhancing mission flexibility for multi-orbit deployments.

On 30 July, the joint NASA-ISRO NISAR mission blasted off aboard the GSLV-F16, heralding a new era in Indo-US collaboration. As the world's first dual-frequency radar satellite—employing L-band and S-band—it scans Earth's surface for minute changes in ice sheets, forests, soil moisture, and disaster zones. Delivering all-weather data every 12 days, NISAR promises invaluable insights for global environmental monitoring.

Human spaceflight advanced dramatically with the Axiom-4 mission, which ferried Gaganyaatri Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station. As the first Indian to reside and operate there, Shukla's 18-day sojourn encompassed seven microgravity experiments from Indian institutions. These probed muscle regeneration, algal growth, crop cultivation, microbial behaviour, and human performance in space, yielding critical data for future missions.

Shubhanshu Shukla's feat earned him recognition as THE WEEK's Man of the Year, symbolising the inspiring arc from Lucknow to the cosmos. His contributions not only advanced scientific knowledge but also ignited national pride in human space endeavours.

Astronomical breakthroughs added to the year's triumphs, with PRL/ISRO scientists discovering the sub-Saturn exoplanet TOI-6038A b via the PARAS-2 spectrograph at Mount Abu. This find bolsters India's exoplanet research and deepens understanding of planetary systems beyond our solar system.

ISRO notched practical successes on terrestrial fronts too. The agency executed the inaugural Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-01) for the Gaganyaan crew module parachute system, a vital step towards crewed orbital flights. Complementing this, the HOPE space-analogue mission in Ladakh's Tso Kar Valley simulated Mars-like conditions, honing protocols for planetary exploration.

Satellite imagery proved its worth in agriculture, with ISRO estimating wheat production across eight major states at 122.724 million tonnes. The derived sown area aligned closely with Ministry of Agriculture statistics, affirming the reliability of space-based crop assessment.

Indigenisation efforts bore fruit with the development of India's first fully "Make-in-India" 32-bit space-grade microprocessors: VIKRAM3201 and KALPANA3201. Handed over on 5 March for integration into launch vehicles and spacecraft, these processors signal self-reliance in critical electronics.

Propulsion technology matured as well, with a 1,000-hour life test of the Stationary Plasma Thruster (EPS) completed on 27 March. This qualification paves the way for electric propulsion in future communication satellites, slashing fuel needs and extending operational lifespans.

ISRO assumed global leadership by chairing the "International Charter Space and Major Disasters" for six months. Coordinating satellite resources worldwide, the agency bolstered disaster response efforts, exemplifying space's humanitarian role.

The year opened strongly with the GSLV-F15 launch of the NVS-02 navigation satellite on 29 January, augmenting the NavIC constellation despite a post-launch valve anomaly preventing full operationalisation.

SpaDex emerged as a highlight, demonstrating rendezvous and docking technologies essential for future space stations. Meanwhile, the GSLV-F15 mission celebrated ISRO's 100th launch, a testament to decades of reliability.

POEM-4's 1,000 orbits in March hosted the CROPS-1 plant growth experiment aboard the PSLV's fourth stage. Repurposed as an orbital laboratory, it tested robotics, biology, propulsion, and in-orbit AI, fostering low-cost experimentation.

Key 2025 MilestonesDateHighlights
GSLV-F15 / NVS-0229 JanNavIC augmentation; ISRO’s 100th launch
LVM3-M5 / CMS-0311 FebHeaviest GTO comm sat; C25 restart
VIKRAM3201 & KALPANA32015 MarIndigenous 32-bit space processors
POEM-4 / CROPS-1Mar1,000 orbits; bio-robotics-AI tests
EPS 1,000-hr test27 MarElectric propulsion qualified
Axiom-4/Shubhanshu ShuklaJun-JulFirst Indian ISS stay; 7 experiments
NISAR (GSLV-F16)30 JulDual-band SAR Earth observer
TOI-6038A b discovery2025Sub-Saturn exoplanet via PARAS-2

These accomplishments reflect India’s ascent as a space power, blending "Make in India" innovation with global collaboration. As 2025 closes, the sector eyes Gaganyaan, lunar ambitions, and sustained leadership.

IDN (With Inputs From PIB)