India Will Have Its Own Space Station by 2035, Says ISRO Chief After PM Modi’s Independence Day Speech

Echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) chief Dr V Narayanan announced, “We’ll establish a space station by 2035.”

Calling PM Modi a visionary leader, Dr Narayanan spoke about ISRO’s advanced operations in a recent interview.

His remarks followed Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address on Friday (August 15), where the Prime Minister declared that India will build its own space station.

From the ramparts of the Red Fort, PM Modi also stressed that India is advancing toward self-reliance in the space sector and preparing for Gaganyaan – the nation’s flagship human spaceflight program.

Reiterating the PM’s message, Dr Narayanan said ISRO has entered advanced stages of development. “There was a time when we had only one startup. Today, over 300 companies contribute to our efforts,” he noted.

On upcoming missions, the ISRO chief said, “We have several approved projects: Chandrayaan 4, Chandrayaan 5, the Venus Orbiter Mission, and the Crewed Space Mission.” He added that the agency is also developing advanced rockets capable of carrying 75,000 kg to orbit.

Regarding Gaganyaan, Dr Narayanan confirmed steady progress, with the orbiter module in its final development phase and the crew escape system nearly complete.
“We plan the first uncrewed mission this year, followed by the crewed mission in early 2027,” he revealed.

During his Independence Day address, PM Modi also mentioned Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who recently took part in Axiom Mission 4 – a joint effort by NASA, SpaceX, and ISRO.

Shukla became the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS) and the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma.

PM Modi noted that Shukla recently came back to Earth from the space station and will return to India soon.

The statements by PM Modi and the ISRO chief signal renewed momentum in India’s space program, which has achieved several key milestones in recent years.