India’s space exploration achievements in 2025 so far: A look into the ‘Gaganyaan’ year - theweek.in

Home News Sci/Tech India’s space exploration achievements in 2025 so far: A look into the ‘Gaganyaan’ year With the Axiom-4 mission delayed yet again, take a look at India’s remarkable achievements in space exploration so far By Mridula Madhu Nair Updated: June 19, 2025 15:57 IST From left to right: SpaDex, NavIC, GSLV-F15 (100th launch), among the top Indian space achievements of India in 2025 so far | ISRO/X Axiom-4 has moved its launch date once again to June 22, 2025. This is the fifth time the launch has been postponed since its originally scheduled date of May 29. “After assessing the key parameters including module fitness, crew health, weather, etc, Axiom Space has indicated that June 22, 2025, may be the next likely launch date of Axiom-04,” posted Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh on X, formerly Twitter. The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission had previously been postponed due to forecasted weather conditions as well as a liquid oxygen leak detected during a hot test. The Ax-4 mission carries four astronauts, including Indian Air Force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla. Designated to be the pilot of the Axiom Mission 4, Shukla will be the first Indian Astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS). The Ax-4 mission has been the talk of the town, attracting worldwide media attention. This included THE WEEK’s exclusive interview with Micheal Lopez-Alegria, chief astronaut at Axiom Space. While we wait for this landmark moment in India’s space journey, let’s look at the nation’s achievements in space exploration in 2025: NavIC: Improving India’s regional navigation Developed by ISRO, Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) is India’s independent regional navigation satellite designed to provide accurate Position, Velocity, and Timing (PVT) to users in India. The development of the NavIC aimed to significantly improve the regional navigation of the country, providing two types of services, extending 1500km beyond the Indian landmass. NVS-01, the first of the second-generation satellites, was launched onboard GSLV-F12 on May 29, 2023. The second satellite features a mix of indigenous and procured atomic clocks for precision. The NVS-02 also saw success with its launch on January 29, 2025. Global Space Exploration Conference 2025 The Global Conference on Space Exploration (GLEX) was organised on May 7-9, 2025, by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) to encourage the sharing of programmatic, technical and policy information. The conference also aimed to discuss collaborative solutions, challenges, and lessons learnt among all nations with the desire to explore space. With its motto, “Connecting @all space people,” the conference provided an opportunity to understand the benefits of space exploration investments. 100th launch from India’s spaceport Sriharikota ISRO saw its 100th successful launch from Sriharikota on January 29, 2025. The GSLV-F15 lifted off from the second launch pad carrying the NVS-02 navigation satellite. Throughout 99 launches, various missions have been carried out from Sriharikota, including the Mars Orbiter Mission, also known as Mangalyaan. This launch has marked a remarkable milestone in India’s space journey.  First walking robotic arm, POEM-4 The RRM-TD, also known as the Walking Robotic Arm, is India’s first space robotic manipulator with walking capability. Developed by the ISRO Inertial Systems Unit, this groundbreaking development made headlines throughout the nation. The RRM-TD is known for its capability to perform inch-worm walking for relocation on the POEM-4 platform. SpaDex, the space docking experiment ISRO developed the SpaDex mission to develop and demonstrate the technology needed for the rendezvous, docking, and undocking of two small spacecraft. “This groundbreaking technology is key to lunar missions, building Bharatiya Antariksh Station,” ISRO posted on X. ALSO READ Beyond earthly soil: The science of China’s space tomatoes The radar eye: ISRO-ESA cooperation for Earth safety Gaganyaan's dream burns brighter after ISRO's sea level test of the Cryogenic engine ISRO started the mission on December 30, 2024, with the successful launch of the SpaDex spacecraft from Sriharikota. The SpaDex mission’s docking operation was completed on January 16, 2025. This has marked the nation’s entry into the elite group of nations capable of executing space docking operations. 2025 has been an eventful year for India in terms of space exploration. The significance of the year was further underscored by ISRO Chief V. Narayanan declaring 2025 as the “Gaganyaan year.” TAGS ISRO Satellite ISRO Space Space Exploration Join our WhatsApp Channel to get the latest news, exclusives and videos on WhatsApp READ MORE D4vd's ex-friend Neo calls Celeste Rivas 'victim' giving new trouble for singer in teen's death case Humayun Kabir’s Aam Janata Unnayan Party releases first list of 21 candidates 'Dhurandhar 2' review and release updates: The film is a masterpiece, say early reports Liverpool shocked as Real Madrid set to 'save' the next 'Bruno Fernandes' from rain and cold Beyond earthly soil: The science of China’s space tomatoes EDITOR'S PICK What Kerala needs today: Shashi Tharoor shares his vision with THE WEEK With new songs of defiance and dismay, U2 find their fire in the Trump era EXCLUSIVE | ‘My body couldn't hide the truth anymore’: Saina Nehwal on her career-altering injury Equity surge *Articles appearing as INFOCUS/THE WEEK FOCUS are marketing initiatives