ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan on Saturday said that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is working on multiple satellite launches planned for 2026. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event, Narayanan said, “We are planning to send a lot of satellites this year. A lot of work is going on. After meeting the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), we will announce them”.
India’s long-term space vision: Space station and Moon mission
Reacting to comments by astronaut Sunita Williams on India and the US jointly exploring space programmes, Narayanan said that several major missions are already in the pipeline.
“We have several big missions lined up. We are working under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We are planning to establish an International Space Station. We are planning to send people to the Moon and bring them back to Earth safely,” he said.
Strong international cooperation in space exploration
Narayanan highlighted that India enjoys strong cooperation in space exploration with nearly 60 friendly countries, adding that international collaborations have been highly beneficial for the space programme.
PSLV-C62 anomaly under analysis
Responding to a query about the anomaly encountered during the third stage of the PSLV-C62 rocket, Narayanan said scientists are currently analysing the issue.
ISRO’s PSLV-C62 mission, which carried an Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-N1) along with several commercial payloads, encountered a technical anomaly during the third stage of its flight on January 12. The mission was intended to place the primary satellite and multiple co-passenger payloads into a 512-km Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO).
“As I mentioned on January 12 itself, the PSLV rocket is a four-stage vehicle. After the third stage, there was a deviation in the flight path of the vehicle. We are studying it,” he said.
Message for students
When asked for his message to the student community, Narayanan, who is also the Secretary of the Department of Space, said students should focus on mastering their subjects while also working on overall personality development.
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