In December last year, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said in reply to a question in Lok Sabha on the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) upcoming missions that the Department of Space had scheduled seven major missions by March 2026.
Of these, only one — the LVM3 M6 mission by NewSpace India, Ltd. (NSIL) — was successfully accomplished, on December 24, 2025.
The remaining missions were scheduled to be launched in the first three months of 2026. They are:
(i) PSLV C62/EOS-N1 — which failed to complete its intended trajectory
(ii) HLVM3-G1/OM1 — also known as the first uncrewed test flight of Gaganyaan
(iii) GSLV-F17/EOS-05
(iv) PSLV C63/TDS-01
(v) PSLV-N1/EOS-10 — the first PSLV vehicle realised by NSIL through a consortium of Indian industries, and
(vi) SSLV-L1/NSIL
Now, at the end of the first quarter of 2026, none of these missions have been accomplished.
NavIC setback
There has in fact been an additional setback: only three satellites in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) constellation currently have working atomic clocks. A minimum of four such satellites are required for the constellation to function like the GPS system, providing position and navigation services to users on the ground. It’s in fact why ISRO designed and launched the IRNSS satellites.
With the clock onboard the IRNSS-1F satellite failing on March 13, IRNSS cannot at present provide position and navigation services.
ISRO announced that the IRNSS-1F satellite, launched in March 2016, had completed its design mission life of 10 years on March 10, and three days later that its atomic clock had stopped working. The development weakened the country’s indigenous GPS system, called NavIC, short for ‘Navigation with Indian Constellation’.
Nonetheless, ISRO also said IRNSS-1F will be repurposed to provide one-way broadcast messaging services, like storm forecasts.
Gaganyaan updates
In March, the space agency also successfully conducted a sea-level hot test of its CE20 cryogenic engine with a thrust of 22 tonnes using a nozzle protection system and a multi-element igniter. The CE20 cryogenic engine powers the third and uppermost stage of the LVM3 rocket and has been qualified for the Gaganyaan mission.
ISRO said that in order to enhance the payload capability of the LVM3 vehicle, future missions with the rocket will be operated with an uprated third stage.
Speaking of the human spaceflight programme: ISRO has also tied up with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for cooperation in space medicine and research.
With futuristic long duration human space missions lined up, such as the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and crewed missions to the moon, the space agency said that this cooperation is targeted at conducting ground and space-based studies. Their findings will then be used to develop multidisciplinary space medicine expertise, medical devices, procedures and protocols to maintain human health and performance in extreme space environments, and to advance healthcare for the nation.
Focused research and developments are also planned in the fields of human physiology, behavioural health, immunology, and gut microbiology, biomedical science, neuroscience and neurophysiology, nutrition and metabolic health, musculoskeletal atrophy in microgravity, infectious diseases control, and countermeasures to improve human health and performance in space.
On the international cooperation front: ISRO and the European Space Agency signed an agreement concerning ‘Joint Calibration and Validation Activities and Scientific Studies for Earth Observation Missions’. The two space agencies have had in place a long-term cooperation since 1978.
Expression of concern
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology also submitted its latest report on Demands for Grants (2026-27) of the Department of Space.
The Committee has expressed concerns over the transfer of technologies in the space sector at disproportionately low prices relative to their commercial potential. It also said that such undervalued technologies are allowing these private partners to earn significant profits while the originating institutes receive only a marginal share of the value created.
It recommended that the Department of Space consider adopting a more competitive and market-aligned pricing framework for technology transfers.
Private sector
Agnikul Cosmos, an end-to-end space transportation company, successfully completed a critical test of its engine, Agnite.
According to the company, unlike traditional engines that take several months to manufacture, Agnikul’s engines can be fully 3D printed in just seven days and this is expected to reduce production complexity and turnaround time.
Another company, Bellatrix Aerospace, announced that it has closed a $20-million pre-series B growth round led by Cactus Partners, which is expected to accelerate the commercialisation and delivery of the company’s propulsion systems.
Samtel Avionics also announced its expansion into space technologies and drone manufacturing, with an investment of over ₹200 crore. In the space segment, the company is planning to develop LEO and miniature satellites, with its first space project expected to commence in the coming months. It said that it is also exploring opportunities in emerging areas such as managing space debris.
hemanth.cs@thehindu.co.in
Published – April 03, 2026 07:45 am IST
