New Delhi, Nov 16 (IANS) India’s space ambitions continue to scale new heights, marked most recently by the successful launch of a 4,400-kg communication satellite — one of the heaviest the country has ever placed in orbit, a report said on Sunday.

With decades of domestic innovation since the launch of Aryabhata in 1975, India entered the space age, and this accomplishment further solidifies its place among the world’s leading spacefaring nations.

Over the years, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has built a diverse fleet of satellites and demonstrated strong launch capabilities through vehicles such as the PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3, a report in timesofoman.com said.

According to the report, the upcoming Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is set to strengthen India’s presence in the global small-satellite market.

Additionally, ISRO has already launched 354 foreign satellites from 34 countries into orbit and holds the world record for launching 104 satellites in a single mission in 2017.

Following Chandrayaan-3’s historic landing close to the Moon’s south pole in 2023 — a feat no other country has accomplished — India’s standing in the world of space exploration skyrocketed.

The mission, which cost only $75 million — much less than some Hollywood space movies — was praised by leaders and organisations around the world, including NASA, European Space Agency, and the Australian Space Agency.

ISRO’s low-cost, high-impact approach has been consistently evident.

The Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), launched at $74 million, made India the first Asian nation to reach Martian orbit and the first worldwide to succeed on its maiden attempt.

The mission, which was supposed to last six months, produced scientific observations for eight years.

With the Aditya-L1 mission, which positioned a space observatory in a halo orbit around Lagrange Point 1, India also achieved a significant advancement in solar science.

The mission, which cost $46 million to develop, enables uninterrupted, ongoing Sun observation.

The report said that India is getting ready for its most ambitious mission to date, Gaganyaan, the nation’s first human spaceflight, which is expected to take place in late 2025.

By the end of this year, an unmanned test flight is scheduled.

The mission has attracted international attention; French astronaut Thomas Pesquet has described it as “extremely impressive” and said that he hopes to fly with an Indian astronaut in the future.

With every accomplishment, India solidifies its position as a pioneer in affordable, advanced space exploration, motivating developing countries and changing the face of space travel worldwide.

–IANS

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