New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) — India will mark the second National Space Day on Saturday, celebrating its remarkable journey from launching satellites to preparing for human spaceflight.
Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, recalled India’s historic achievement last year when, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the nation became the fourth in the world to land on the Moon — and the first to touch down at the lunar South Pole. “Tomorrow, we celebrate the 2nd National Space Day, honouring India’s journey from satellites to human spaceflight and our vision of infinite possibilities,” he said in a post on X.
India’s space sector has emerged as a key driver of technological and economic growth. Following the 2020 space reforms, which liberalised the sector and established the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), the number of registered space start-ups has surged to over 300.
Since then, IN-SPACe has enabled two successful sub-orbital flights by private start-ups (in November 2022 and May 2024), while six new-generation enterprises have launched 14 satellites into orbit — demonstrating growing private-sector capability.
The next big milestone is the first uncrewed mission of the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, scheduled for December. The test flight, G1, will carry Vyommitra, a half-humanoid robot designed to simulate human responses in space.
At a press briefing on Friday, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan also praised IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who recently became the first Indian to participate in a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Shukla is among the astronauts shortlisted for the crewed Gaganyaan mission.
Narayanan further confirmed that the jointly developed NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite is performing well, with all systems functioning normally.
As India commemorates National Space Day, the celebration not only reflects past achievements but also highlights the nation’s growing ambition in space exploration and its march toward human spaceflight.
