Crew 12 mission astronauts, from left, pilot Jack Hathaway, Russian cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev, commander Jessica Meir and ESA astronaut Sophia Adenot, of France, leave the Operations and Checkout building before heading to pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida on February 13, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP

Crew 12 mission astronauts, from left, pilot Jack Hathaway, Russian cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev, commander Jessica Meir and ESA astronaut Sophia Adenot, of France, leave the Operations and Checkout building before heading to pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida on February 13, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP

In a 103 second long exposure image the SpaceX Dragon capsule Crew 11 returns early to Earth from space due to an astronaut’s medical issue as seen during reentry over Los Angeles, California on January 15, 2026 carrying four International Space Station (ISS) NASA astronauts.
| Photo Credit: AFP

India’s space journey has evolved beyond a string of spectacular missions. It has the national pulse and is a source of daily inspiration. In June 2025, when Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla displayed the Tricolour aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it was a moment of pride for every Indian. The Prime Minister called it a “defining chapter” of Amrit Kaal (‘era of nectar’), and for many, that moment felt like India’s ascent was a part of their own heartbeat. It was not just science. It was identity being reshaped through vision and purposeful programmes.

That same spirit has been echoed earlier, on August 23, 2023, when Chandrayaan-3 made India the first nation to land near the lunar south pole. “India is now on the Moon,” declared Mr. Modi — words which rippled through classrooms, villages and living rooms alike. India’s lunar programme has been truly path breaking: Chandrayaan-1 (2008) confirmed the presence of water molecules; Chandrayaan-2 (2019) mapped the moon with high precision and prepared the ground for Chandrayaan-3 (2023), which achieved the world’s first soft landing near the south pole. When the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover explored the lunar surface for a full moon day, this led children to draw depictions of lunar landscapes in notebooks, it left researchers feeling vindicated, and inspired citizens who saw India’s story in space as also their own future.

India has become a trusted global partner in space. Over 400 foreign satellites have been launched aboard Indian rockets. In 2014, India became the first Asian nation and only the fourth in the world to reach Mars orbit — and on its maiden attempt, with the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan). The Aditya-L1 mission (2023), built through multi-institutional collaboration, is providing unprecedented insights into the sun’s corona and its impact on space weather. XPoSat (2024) is studying black holes, while SpaDeX (2024) has demonstrated in-orbit docking for future space stations and lunar missions.

A new space vision

These milestones are reshaping policy, culture, and aspiration. The road map is bold: continuation of the Gaganyaan programme for human spaceflight, Chandrayaan-4 and 5 for deeper lunar exploration, a dedicated Venus mission, a Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) by 2035, and an Indian human landing on the Moon by 2040. These are not distant dreams but national goals, aligned with the spirit of Amrit Kaal.

The Prime Minister has called for building a pool of 40 to 50 trained astronauts for future missions. On National Space Day 2025 (August 23), he urged young citizens to see themselves as participants in India’s human space programme. Gaganyaan, with an approved outlay of over ₹20,000 crore, is advancing steadily. Four Indian Air Force test pilots are undergoing training, and a series of uncrewed and crewed flights will culminate in India’s first indigenous human space mission, presently targeted for 2027.

Space technology today is woven into the fabric of governance and daily life. Satellites deliver disaster warnings, guide fishermen, assess crop yields and insurance claims, enhance railway safety, and power the geospatial backbone of the PM Gati Shakti programme. Space is no longer a distant luxury but a democratic utility — accessible to every citizen.

At the same time, space exploration fuels Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, advanced research, and workforce development. Future-ready technologies in space operations autonomy, robotics, in-space manufacturing, surveillance and interplanetary travel are being developed, ensuring that India retains leadership in this strategic frontier.

The transformation of India’s space sector is deliberate and ambitious. The opening of the field to private players, creating a thriving ecosystem of more than 350 startups building satellites, launch vehicles, and ground systems. The space budget has nearly tripled — from ₹5,615 crore in 2013-14 to ₹13,416 crore in 2025-26 — and has been augmented by nearly ₹5,000 crore in user funds. India’s space economy, currently valued at $8 billion, is projected to grow to $44 billion in the years ahead, creating jobs, industries and innovations that orbit around this sector.

Inspiring the next generation

The Prime Minister has challenged the ecosystem to deliver five space unicorns within the next five years and to scale up annual launches, nearly ten-fold, to 50 a year. With private participation, India is advancing technologies related to semi-cryogenics, electric propulsion, quantum communication and in-orbit servicing.

Youth are at the heart of this vision. The International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics hosted in India (August 2025) drew nearly 300 participants from over 60 countries, with Indian students winning medals. Initiatives such as the ISRO Robotics Challenge and Indian Space Hackathon/Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon are bringing school and college students into direct contact with rovers, satellites and rockets, building confidence that the laboratories and launchpads of tomorrow are theirs to claim.

At the policy level, the National Meet 2.0 held just before National Space Day produced 5,000-plus pages of documentation across 300 user interactions. This 15-year road map aligns every mission with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Global collaborations and leadership

Space has been consistently projected as a global commons, where India’s leadership translates into shared progress. The South Asia Satellite has provided neighbours with communication capacity, while during India’s G-20 Presidency in 2023, India announced a “G20 satellite” for climate and environmental monitoring with data shared with all nations. Collaborative missions such as NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Thermal infraRed Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural resource Assessment (TRISHNA) with CNES (French space agency), Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and India’s participation in the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Proba-3 demonstrate India’s rise as a global partner, guided by the ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (‘the world is one family’).

India’s space journey is more than rockets and satellites. It is about a nation discovering new ways to see itself. The salute of Shubhanshu Shukla aboard the ISS, the landing of Chandrayaan-3, 350 startups from small towns designing space systems, young students competing in Olympiads, and satellites quietly serving national security and citizen services are all part of the same story.

In this Amrit Kaal, India is not simply participating in the space age. It is shaping it. With ambition, confidence, and purpose, Bharat looks to the stars knowing that the horizon belongs to it too.

S. Somanath was former Secretary, Department of Space, and Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He is now Distinguished Visiting Professor, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and Adviser (Space Technology), Government of Andhra Pradesh. The views expressed are personal

Published – January 01, 2026 12:16 am IST

The H3 (7th) rocket by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), carrying a new HTV-X cargo transfer spacecraft, is launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane, Tanegashima island, on October 26, 2025
| Photo Credit: AP

International Space Station (image used for representation)

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A SpaceX Falcon Nine rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 39A carrying NASA’s Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., August 1, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

New Delhi:

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, set to become the second Indian to go to space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s journey on board the Soyuz T-11 in April 1984, will take on the role of pilot on the Axiom Mission 4, or Ax-4.

The Ax-4 will go to the International Space Station (ISS) from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Kennedy Space Centre in Florida no earlier than spring 2025, Axiom told reporters on Thursday.

Group Captain Shukla, who is serving in the Indian Air Force (IAF), has also been chosen as an astronaut for India’s Gaganyaan Mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was ISRO that sent him to NASA for the Ax-4 mission to the ISS.

Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the private Ax-4 mission, while Group Captain Shukla will serve as pilot, the American space agency told reporters.

“I am really excited to go into microgravity and experience space flight on my own. The tempo for the mission has been building up each month. I think we are at a stage wherein all the pieces are kind of coming together. I’m extremely excited to see how this unfolds in the coming months and for the actual space flight as well,” Group Captain Shukla said in response to a question by NDTV.

The Axiom 4 Mission team speaks to NDTV Science Editor Pallava Bagla

“We have been training for the past four-five months. We now understand the entire CONOPS, the concept of operations, and going forward from here it would mostly be repetition of the things that we have done. So we are ready and confident in our abilities to execute this mission successfully,” Group Captain Shukla added.

On whether he would perform yoga as was done by Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma in space, Group Captain Shukla said, “Yes, now that you have said so, I would probably demonstrate a few poses of yoga while we are up on the station.”

“But a more important aspect is that we need to practice while we are on the ground so that we have a healthy body which can house a healthy mind and allow us to execute this mission in our full spirits, truly,” Group Captain Shukla said.

He added in Hindi, “I am very excited about this mission, and I think the kind of training we have done so far makes me confident in my abilities. We will be able to execute this mission very well. Thank you.”

The Axiom 4 Mission team

Ms Whitson praised her team which has a diverse composition.

“These guys are very intelligent, so they absolutely listen to me,” she said. “It is an interesting challenge to bring a diverse group from different countries together. I had that opportunity on the previous Axiom mission. And even on the NASA missions, we work as a very international team. But that is what I love to do. I love to bring people together and to build a team. And so that is kind of my main goal of this mission is to build that elite team. And I think I have got it here.”

The first private astronaut mission to the ISS, Axiom Mission 1, lifted off in April 2022 for a 17-day mission aboard the orbiting laboratory.

The second private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 2, also was commanded by Ms Whitson and launched in May 2023 with four private astronauts who spent eight days in orbit.

The most recent private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission 3, launched in January 2024; the crew spent 18 days docked to the ISS.

New Delhi:

Astronaut Sunita Williams, currently in space, will see 16 sunrises and sunsets on New Year as the International Space Station, where she is located, keeps on the move. A post on X today from the space station handle read: “As 2024 comes to a close today, the Exp 72 crew will see 16 sunrises and sunsets while soaring into the New Year. Seen here are several sunsets pictured over the years from the orbital outpost”. 

As 2024 comes to a close today, the Exp 72 crew will see 16 sunrises and sunsets while soaring into the New Year. Seen here are several sunsets pictured over the years from the orbital outpost. pic.twitter.com/DdlvSCoKo1

— International Space Station (@Space_Station) December 31, 2024

Ms Williams, who started for the space station in June in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft along with astronaut Barry Wilmore, and initially expected to be back in 9 days, had to spend Christmas at the space station too. 

In a video shared by US space agency NASA, she said it was a “great time to be up here”. Her colleagues were seen sporting Santa caps – apparently part of holiday supplies sent up to the orbiting laboratory by NASA on SpaceX Dragon capsule.

“Welcome to the International Space Station as we get ready for the Christmas holidays. It’s a great time up here, we get to spend it with all of our ‘family’ on the International Space Station. There are seven of us up here and so we’re going to get to enjoy company together,” Ms Williams is heard saying in the video.

Ms Williams and Mr Barrymore are now hoping to be back in March after yet another postponement by NASA. They were set to return in February 2025, but it was postponed due to the delay in SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission, who have to relieve them.

The Crew-9’s two astronauts had arrived at the space station in late September, with two empty seats for Wilmore and Williams. The plan was for all four to return home in February 2025.

New Delhi:

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams’ return from the International Space Station (ISS) has been delayed once again. Ms Williams, 59, will now touch down on Earth after March next year. NASA insists that the crew is healthy and safe aboard the ISS.

The US space agency announced that the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, tasked with bringing her back, will launch no earlier than late March. Ms Williams reached the ISS in June. However, her return was delayed to February next year due to safety issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft she piloted to space.

Extended stays in a near-zero-gravity environment have many consequences on the human body, which is designed to function under Earth’s gravity. The human body tends to lose bone density, making bones brittle in space. Since the muscles are not used for any weight-bearing – as the body becomes almost weightless in space – they lose mass. Other organs, such as the heart, liver, and eyes also experience changes. Most of these changes are reversed once astronauts return to Earth and retrain under Earth’s gravity.

Ms Williams is a veteran of spaceflights, and this current mission is her third flight into space. Cumulatively, she has already spent over 517 days in space during her missions. At one point, she held the record for the most time spent on spacewalks, clocking over 51 hours of extra-vehicular activity (EVA).

Ms Williams flew to the ISS aboard the Boeing Starliner in June for what was initially planned as a 7-to-10-day mission. However, due to safety glitches with the Boeing Starliner, her stay was extended until February 2025. Now, NASA has announced that it is adjusting the crew dates, meaning she will return around late March or April next year.

“NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 is now targeting no earlier than late March 2025 to launch four crew members to the International Space Station,” the US space agency said.

NASA and SpaceX assessed various options for managing the next crewed handover, including using another Dragon spacecraft and making manifest adjustments. After careful consideration, the team determined that launching Crew-10 in late March, following the completion of the new Dragon spacecraft, was the best option for meeting NASA’s requirements and achieving space station objectives for 2025.

The agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission, with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, will return to Earth following the arrival of Crew-10 at the orbital laboratory. This period, known as ‘handover’, allows Crew-9 to share any lessons learned with the newly arrived crew, facilitating a smoother transition for ongoing science and maintenance activities aboard the station.

Crew-9, along with the full space station crew of Expedition 72, is focused on completing research aboard the microgravity laboratory and preparing for upcoming spacewalks.

There was speculation that Ms Williams had lost weight and was unhealthy, but these rumours were dismissed by NASA. Ms Williams herself stated that she is doing extensive weight training on the space station using the special equipment provided to the crew. Incidentally, during an earlier mission, she ran a space marathon on the ISS treadmill.

NASA also confirmed that the space station recently received two resupply flights in November and is well-stocked with everything the crew needs, including food, water, clothing, and oxygen. The resupply spacecraft carried special items for the crew to celebrate the holidays aboard the orbital platform.