'Bharatiya Antariksha Station': ISRO Aims to Launch First Indian Space Station by 2028

GANDHINAGAR: In a significant announcement, the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) S Somanath on Thursday announced an ambitious goal of establishing the first 'Bharatiya Antariksha Station' (Indian Space Station) by the year 2028, utilizing the existing launcher capability. Speaking at a seminar on the International Space Station as part of the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, Somanath outlined the ISRO's vision for transforming the station into a laboratory for global scientific experiments.

"We would like to put the first Bharatiya Antriksh Station [into space] by 2028 using the existing launcher capability. And we would like to convert it into a laboratory to conduct experiments," news agency PTI quoted Somanath as saying. He further emphasized that by 2035, when human access to the station is established, the organisation will work towards setting up laboratories, institutions, and scientific establishments in order to conduct research with tangible economic outcomes.

Post-establishment, the ISRO is planning to collaborate with companies and institutions to maximize the utilization of the Bharatiya Antariksha Station through increased economic activities and innovation, Somanath reportedly said, as he expressed confidence in the feasibility of such collaborations, highlighting the potential for various sectors to derive benefits.

The ISRO chairman reportedly highlighted the economic impact of human access to the Moon, emphasizing that future strategic activities will extend beyond the Earth. He also urged industries to engage in the construction of spacecraft for various purposes, PTI reported.

"In the last one year, we have aggregated demands of the country in terms of agriculture, weather forecast, disaster warnings, water resources, cartography, strategic intelligence-gathering, and almost hundreds of spacecraft which have to be built over the next 5-10 years, have been identified," Somanath disclosed.

Somnath further underscored the need for private entities to understand how they would manage costs in the ever-evolving space landscape, even as he acknowledged the challenges of keeping space exploration cost-effective for private players.

As India aims for new frontiers in space exploration, the establishment of the Bharatiya Antariksha Station stands as a pivotal step towards fostering scientific innovation, economic growth, and international collaboration in the realm of space exploration, he asserted.