The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced its plans to launch India’s first international space station by 2028. Addressing a cohort of young scientists at the Bhartiya Vigyan Sammelan, an event jointly organised by Vigyan Bharti (Vibha) and the Gujarat government, S Somanath, chairman, ISRO, announced the ambitious timeline for the launch of the initial module of the international space station. He informed that within the next five years, ISRO’s inaugural module of the international space station will be propelled into orbit. The first module, a robotic marvel, is projected to weigh a substantial 8 tonnes.
The initiative also involves the development of a novel rocket by ISRO, capable of shouldering a load ranging between 20 to 1,215 tonnes, a significant leap from India’s current rocket technology which is equipped to transport only 10 tonnes. The international space station will serve as a launching pad for greater space exploration. Harnessing these advancements, ISRO is also charting a course to dispatch astronauts into space as part of the international space station mission, aiming for this milestone by 2035.
Further, Somanath provided an update on the Aditya L-1 mission, informing that Aditya is anticipated to reach the L-1 point on January 6, 2024. He added that Aditya-L1 will diligently collect crucial data over the next five years, essential not only for India but for the global scientific community.
