📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Satish Dhawan
Science
ISRO chief announces India’s own space station slated for 2035 on National Space Day
✍️ Amar Ujala
🗓 24 Aug 2026, 07:54 AM
👁 3
ISRO chairman S. Somanath said on National Space Day that India plans to have an indigenous space station operational by 2035, outlining the programme’s key milestones.
New Delhi, August 24 (Reuters) – Speaking at the National Space Day celebrations, ISRO chairman S. Somanath announced that India intends to put a fully functional, indigenously built space station into orbit by 2035. He said the project will proceed in phases, beginning with the development of a modular habitat and supporting launch vehicles over the next decade.
Somanath highlighted that the station will be designed to host Indian astronauts for long‑duration missions, facilitate micro‑gravity research, and serve as a platform for international collaborations. He added that the agency is already testing key technologies such as autonomous docking and life‑support systems.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the same event, praised the milestone as a testament to India’s growing scientific capabilities and urged the nation to support the endeavour. The announcement comes as ISRO prepares for its next crewed flight under the Gaganyaan programme, slated for the early 2020s.
The space station timeline aligns with India’s broader space strategy, which aims to expand capabilities beyond satellite launches to deep‑space exploration and sustained human presence in orbit. Funding and detailed project plans are expected to be presented to the government in the coming months.
Somanath highlighted that the station will be designed to host Indian astronauts for long‑duration missions, facilitate micro‑gravity research, and serve as a platform for international collaborations. He added that the agency is already testing key technologies such as autonomous docking and life‑support systems.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the same event, praised the milestone as a testament to India’s growing scientific capabilities and urged the nation to support the endeavour. The announcement comes as ISRO prepares for its next crewed flight under the Gaganyaan programme, slated for the early 2020s.
The space station timeline aligns with India’s broader space strategy, which aims to expand capabilities beyond satellite launches to deep‑space exploration and sustained human presence in orbit. Funding and detailed project plans are expected to be presented to the government in the coming months.