India’s Space Program in 2025: ISS Debut, NISAR Launch and a Slower Year

Overview

• Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla flew on Axiom Mission 4, becoming the first Indian to visit the ISS and returning safely after roughly two weeks in orbit.
• The NASA–ISRO NISAR Earth observation mission launched in July, bringing dual-band radar mapping for routine global monitoring of land and ice.
• ISRO’s LVM3 reinforced heavy‑lift capability with CMS‑03 for the Navy and a December launch of AST SpaceMobile’s 6,100‑kg BlueBird Block‑2, the heaviest payload yet from India.
• ISRO recorded five orbital missions for the year, with a PSLV‑C61/EOS‑09 third‑stage anomaly and a parliamentary confirmation that the NVS‑02 navigation satellite is non‑operational.
• ISRO demonstrated autonomous rendezvous and docking with SpaDeX, transferred SSLV operations to HAL to expand industry roles, and advanced Gaganyaan systems testing even as public flights moved to 2026.