&w=3840&q=100)
Gearing up for space station, Gaganyaan, lunar missions: Isro chairman
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief also said the Department of Space, of which he is the Secretary, is working alongside various organisations to ensure the safety and security of the country's citizens.
"Take our country, for example we have 11,500 km of coastline, and then there's the northern border. We have a vast border to monitor, and the government is working diligently to ensure our safety. There are responsible individuals and systems in place," he told reporters on the sidelines of a programme of Rammohan Mission here.
Narayanan said, "Currently, we have 57 satellites in orbit, serving the public by providing real-time updates and data on a wide range of issues, from weather forecasts to tele-education in the most remote areas." About the space station, he said it will weigh over 50 tonnes.
On the recent failure of the PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission, Narayanan described the setback an exception in ISRO's track record.
He asserted that the setback cannot in any way derail ISRO's future programmes like Gaganyaan - which will be an important milestone for India's space exploration.
"Right now, we (ISRO) are also working on Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5. Chandrayaan-5, in collaboration with Japan, will have a 6,400 kg lander carrying a 350-kg rover. It will have a life span of 100 days," he said.
The Chandrayaan-3 lander weighed 1,600 kg having a 25-kg rover.
Chandrayaan-4, to bring back sample from the lunar surface, will be launched in the next two-and-a-half years.
"Over the past several decades, India has moved on and is now placed among the top nations in space research and exploration," he added.
The eminent space scientist further said that ISRO is preparing for the country's first human spaceflight, called 'Gaganyaan'.
Narayanan said Gaganyaan's first mission will be an uncrewed test flight, which is expected to be launched in the coming days.
This will be followed by two missions with crew which are expected to be launched by ISRO in the near future, he added.
Earlier in the day, the ISRO chief addressed students of Ram Mohan Mission and Ram Mohan Mission High School on the 253rd birth anniversary of social reformer Rammohan Roy.
He paid glowing tributes to Roy and other social reformers who championed the causes of emancipation and women's uplift. Narayanan also highlighted the contributions of women space scientists in India's space programmes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
43 minutes ago
- News18
'Inspired To Dream Big': President Praises Shubanshu Shukla In I-Day Eve Address
President Droupadi Murmu praised Group Captain Shubanshu Shukla for his historic ISS journey, calling it inspirational. Shukla, part of Axiom-4, conducted crucial ISRO experiments. President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday lauded Indian Air Force Group Captain and astronaut Shubanshu Shukla for his historic journey to the International Space Station (ISS), calling his achievement an inspiration for an entire generation. 'Shubhanshu Shukla's journey to the International Space Station has inspired an entire generation to dream big," said President Murmu during her address to the nation on the eve of India's 79th Independence Day. This was her fourth address as President. Shubhanshu Shukla's space journey to the International Space Station has fired a whole generation to dream bigger. — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) August 14, 2025 Group Captain Shukla made history on June 26 by becoming the first ISRO astronaut to set foot aboard the ISS. He was part of the four-member Axiom-4 private space mission, which launched aboard SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket from Florida on June 25. The crew safely returned to Earth with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California, on July 15, following a 22.5-hour journey back. During the 18-day stay in orbit, Shukla and his fellow astronauts — Peggy Whitson (USA), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) — conducted over 60 experiments and 20 outreach sessions. Shukla, a native of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, has become a symbol of pride across India. His achievement has especially stirred excitement in his hometown, with family, friends, and locals celebrating his role in advancing India's space ambitions. His feat was also praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said that Shukla has inspired a billion dreams and taken a major step forward for India's space journey. (With inputs from agencies) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
ISRO tour inspires Jharkhand girls
Jamshedpur, Aug 14 (PTI) A group of 28 girl students from government-run schools in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district on Thursday shared their experiences following their return from a three-day academic trip to ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Speaking at a function organised at the district collectorate here on Thursday, the students said the tour had broadened their knowledge, vision and aspirations. They thanked Chief Minister Hemant Soren and East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Karn Satyarthi for organising the academic trip. On the first day, the students visited the Indian Space Research Organisation's Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Shriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) and the engineering college of RMK Group of Institutions. On the second day, they visited the state museum and various Archaeological Survey of India-protected historical sites, including the Mahabalipuram Fort, temples, museums, and Tiger Cave. They also paid a visit to a model school in Kovalam, Chennai, to observe the current educational system and resources. On the final day, the group toured the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and the railway museum in the city, where they learned about the history and development of Indian Railways. Selected through the Science Olympiad, the tour was proved a unique experience for students, who witnessed a co-ordination of science, culture and education. Deputy Commissioner Satyarthi said such tours provide an opportunity for students to move out from the confines of classrooms and understand the real world, broadening their thinking and vision. "Such tours would not only encourage keenness to learn, but also boost their confidence, curiosity to achieve goal with commitment," he added. Satyarthi expressed confidence that these girls, inspired by the experience, will put up their best and earn laurels for the state and country in science and technology, research and sports.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
2 Indian aquanauts make record-breaking dives into Atlantic Ocean
In preparation for the country's Deep Ocean Mission, two Indian aquanauts have undertaken dives to nearly 4,000 metres and 5,000 metres in the Atlantic Ocean, on board the French vessel, Nautile. These are the deepest ocean dives ever made by Indians, with most submarine dives being restricted to above 500 metres, and a previous record of 670 metres being set by aquanaut Commander (Retd) Jatinder Pal Singh. The dives took place on August 4 and 5. While Singh descended 5,002 metres, R Ramesh descended to 4,025 metres. An Indian flag, along with a French one, was floated during the dive. From deployment to retrieval, the mission to travel to the depths of 5,000 metres took about 9.5 hours. 'It took about two and a half hours to reach the depth. Once there, I spent around four hours at the depth working with the robotic arm, checking how to work with and without the light at a place where there is never any sunlight, how to work with the life support system if the CO2 systems are shut off, what has to be done in case of power failure, or how long will it take for the vessel to reach the surface in case of an emergency,' said Singh, who was a Naval submarine pilot. The experience from the two dives would help India's upcoming Samudrayaan mission. India plans to build its vessels to send three aquanauts to the depths of 6,000 metres by 2027. 'These dives was meant for our team to gain hands on experience on several aspects of such deep sea missions such as pre-dive preparatory tasks, piloting the vessel, ascending, descending and living in the vessel, using the robotic manipulator to collect samples from the outside, tracking the vessel, and retrieving it after the mission,' said Dr M Ravichandran, Secretary, Department of Earth Sciences. Another important learning from the dives was on communication protocols with the use of acoustic telephones. 'Thousands of metres underwater, you cannot use normal communication methods. Our phones use air as a medium to transmit radio waves to enable communication; these cannot penetrate the depth of water. So, for underwater communication, sound waves are used, and there is a delay of a few seconds in that,' Ravichandran said. The collaboration with France came after years of negotiation, as most countries are reluctant to share deep-sea technologies. In fact, India developed its own acoustic phones and will manufacture the titanium sphere that will carry the aquanauts. 'For depths of 6,000 metres, a titanium sphere will be needed for the crew. This sphere is currently being manufactured by the Indian Space Research Organisation,' he said, adding that it requires highly specialised and precise manufacturing techniques. He explained that the sphere has to be of 80mm thickness uniformly, 'even if at one place it is 79.8 mm thick, it will collapse under the immense pressure'. Under the Samudrayaan mission, a shallow water dive up to 500 metres—using a steel sphere instead of the more complex titanium one—is likely to take place in mid-2026. The integration of the titanium sphere and deep water testing is likely to occur by mid-2027, before the final mission scheduled for 2027-28.
