2025: A Busy and Challenging Year for ISRO

Year 2024 has been quite meaningful for the Indian space programme.

- Dr BR GURUPRASAD Science writer and broadcaster specialising in space

Both its satellites and launch vehicles scored important successes beginning from the very first day of the year itself.

Among its achievements, the most conspicuous ones were the successful entry into its 36,000 km high final orbital home by the country's latest 'high throughput' (high capacity) communication satellite GSAT-N2 in November-end.

This was followed about a week later by yet another significant success achieved by India's trusted workhorse rocket PSLV during its 61st flight that placed two European Proba-3 satellites in the planned orbit precisely. The success further underscored India's prowess to provide reliable commercial launch services globally.

These two events, the latest in the string of successes scored by ISRO this year, have made the agency look forward to the forthcoming year with guarded optimism.

Year 2025 looks like a demanding year for ISRO, beginning with the SpaDeX or Space Docking Experiment launched on December 30.