Nellol: The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will all conduct a series of high-profile missions between May and July 2025, marking advances in international cooperation in Earth observation, human space flight preparations and space research.
A decorated test pilot from the group Shukla was shortlisted under ISRO's Human Space Flight Program (HSP) and is one of the top contenders for Gaganyaan, India's first flight of indigenous orbit crew.
His journey on the AX-4 mission will provide important hands-on training in space flight operations, launch protocols, microgravity adaptation and emergency procedures, forming a crucial foundation for India's long-term human aerospace ambitions.
The news was published by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, who chaired the recent high-level review meeting on the ISRO's upcoming mission plan. ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan provides detailed updates on several key
It is planned to be released within the next three months.
During the main launch, ISRO will lift the PSLV-C61 rocket on May 18, carrying the EOS-09 Earth Observation satellite. The release was originally scheduled for May 19 and has been on track for one day.
EOS-09 is equipped with a C-band synthetic aperture radar designed to capture high-resolution images of the Earth's surface, which enhances India's surveillance and disaster management capabilities regardless of weather or time of day.
Another key mission is to test the vehicle D2 (TV-D2), a key component of the Gaganyaan program. It will simulate abortion scenarios to demonstrate crew escape systems and test various components, including marine recovery operations, control systems, thermal protection, parachutes and shrinking life support systems, which are essential for future human space flights.
In June, ISRO will join hands with NASA to launch Nisar satellites on GSLV-F16. NISAR is a low-Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory jointly developed by NASA and ISRO, which will use dual-band radars (NASA's L-band and ISRO's S-band) to map the entire world every 12 days. The mission aims to study natural hazards such as Earth's ecosystems, ice sheets, sea level rise, and earthquakes and landslides.
Looking ahead to July, the LVM3-M5 mission will support a commercial contract with AST Spacemobile Inc. in the United States and launch the Bluebird Block-2 satellite under Newsspace India Limited (NSIL).
