India will celebrate its second ‘National Space Day’ on Saturday, commemorating the nation’s achievements in space exploration, from launching satellites to preparing for human spaceflight.
Taking to X, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh posted, “On 23rd Aug 2023, under the leadership of Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi, India created history as the 4th nation to land on the Moon & the first at its #SouthPole — a moment that inspired the future.”
“Tomorrow, we celebrate the 2nd #NationalSpaceDay, honouring India’s journey from satellites to human spaceflight & our vision of infinite possibilities,” the post added.
India’s space sector will likely be a key driver of technological and economic growth.
The 2020 space reforms opened the sector to private participation, leading to the creation of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).
Since then, over 300 start-ups have registered in the space domain. IN-SPACe has supported two successful sub-orbital flights by Indian start-ups in November 2022 and May 2024.
In addition, six private entities have launched 14 satellites, showcasing their growing capabilities.
Looking ahead, the first uncrewed mission of the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, named ‘G1’, is likely for launch in December.
The test flight will carry a half-humanoid robot called ‘Vyommitra’, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan announced.
At a press conference in New Delhi on Friday, Narayanan also hailed IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla for completing his historic mission to the International Space Station, the first by an Indian astronaut.
Shukla is part of the crew selected for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission.
He further confirmed that the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite launched recently is ‘healthy and all systems are working well’.
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