08-05-2025
Isro facing multiple challenges in building Bharatiya Antariksha Station: Director of Human Space Flight Centre
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is facing multiple challenges in its plans towards building the ambitious Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS), said DK Singh, director, Human Space Flight Centre.
'There are technical challenges: the long gestation period, the availability of Indian industry expertise and the cost and the returns for a huge project like the BAS. But we are addressing these challenges,' said Singh, during a panel discussion on building space stations at the ongoing Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX) on Thursday.
India has proposed to build the Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS) by 2035 with the first module BAS-1 scheduled for a 2028 launch.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Singh said, 'The overall aerospace industry in India will need to step up their infrastructure, from manufacturing, developing life support systems among others.'
The senior ISRO official further called on the global industries to partner with India for the multiple human space exploration missions planned in the near future.
Singh further said that India will make the BAS available for the use of the international space community at affordable costs.
'It will be a space lab, which will facilitate astronauts to undertake experiments, which otherwise cannot be performed on Earth due to its gravity. Life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors have huge scope to perform experiments at BAS. Drug tests can be performed at BAS,' he said.
Even though there are efforts underway by multiple private space companies towards building a space station, but the role of governments will continue to remain vital, said Michael Lopez Alegria, veteran NASA astronaut and mission commander of two Axion missions.
'The governments will remain the major partner in building and utilisation of the space station. We need individuals and nations to use the space station,' he said.
Thomas Pesquet, astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA), cited the lack of political will among European nations in getting space activities underway as the biggest challenge.
'In India, there is a strong political will and focused efforts, for example in building the BAS. It is time for Europe to step up,' said Pesquet.
The International Space Station, now operating for 24 years, has been the longest serving space stations and has surpassed its mission life. So far, over 700 people have visited space.
