ISRO Reaffirms Target to Establish Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman V. Narayanan officially reaffirmed India's strategic roadmap to establish the indigenous Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) by 2035. Speaking on space technology milestones, the ISRO chief highlighted that India has expanded space-based applications across more than 50 sectoral domains, ranging from agriculture and disaster management to maritime security.

The Bharatiya Antariksh Station represents the next frontier of India's human spaceflight capability following the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission. The station project involves setting up a multi-module orbital platform in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of approximately 400 kilometers, enabling long-duration microgravity research, space medicine experiments, and astronomical observation.

Key architectural phases of the program include the deployment of the initial BAS-1 module weighing around 20 tonnes by 2028, leading to full operational capability by 2035. The station will utilize the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) currently under development, capable of carrying heavier payloads into LEO compared to the existing LVM3 launch system.

This development is highly significant for candidates preparing for UPSC GS Paper III Science and Technology. Expect Prelims MCQs covering ISRO's future missions, space station orbits, and launch vehicle capabilities, as well as Mains questions examining India's space diplomacy, commercial space ambitions, and space debris management strategies.