ISRO and India's Space Journey: Key Missions, Gaganyaan and What's Next — SSB Notes
ISRO's milestones from Aryabhata to Chandrayaan-3, SpaDeX and Shubhanshu Shukla's flight, the Gaganyaan plan and its IAF astronauts, the space station, private space firms and the defence angle.
Why you should know this
ISRO is one of India's proudest institutions and a common topic in the interview ("Which recent achievement of India makes you proud?") and in lecturettes. For Air Force candidates, it is even more important: all four astronauts chosen for Gaganyaan are IAF test pilots.
The milestones in order
| Year | Milestone |
|---|
| 1969 | ISRO founded (15 August); Dr Vikram Sarabhai is called the father of India's space programme |
| 1975 | Aryabhata — India's first satellite (launched on a Soviet rocket) |
| 1980 | SLV-3 puts Rohini satellite in orbit — India's first own launch |
| 2008 | Chandrayaan-1 — helped find signs of water on the Moon |
| 2014 | Mangalyaan reaches Mars orbit — first Asian country, and on the first attempt |
| 2017 | PSLV launches 104 satellites in one mission |
| 2019 | Mission Shakti — India tests an anti-satellite (ASAT) missile |
| 2023 | Chandrayaan-3 lands near the Moon's south pole (23 August) — first country to do so |
| 2023–24 | Aditya-L1 — India's first solar observatory reaches its point in space |
| 2025 | SpaDeX — India docks two satellites in space, the fourth country to do so |
| 2025 | Shubhanshu Shukla — first Indian to visit the International Space Station |
| 2025 | NISAR — NASA-ISRO Earth-watching radar satellite launched |
23 August is now celebrated as National Space Day, marking Chandrayaan-3's landing.
ISRO's proudest numbers
| 104 | Satellites on one PSLV launch (2017) |
| 1st | Attempt success at Mars (2014) |
| 4th | Country to dock two satellites in space (2025) |
| 23 Aug | National Space Day — Chandrayaan-3's landing |
Gaganyaan — India's human spaceflight
- Goal: send Indian astronauts to space on an Indian rocket and bring them back safely.
- Astronaut-designates (announced 2024): Group Captains Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap and Shubhanshu Shukla — all IAF test pilots.
- Shubhanshu Shukla flew to the International Space Station in June–July 2025 on the Axiom-4 mission, gaining real spaceflight experience for Gaganyaan.
- Plan: first an uncrewed test flight (G1) carrying a humanoid robot called Vyommitra; then the first crewed flight, targeted for 2027.
- As of October 2026, ISRO had completed key tests for G1 and was aiming to launch it late in 2026. Check the latest news before your SSB — space dates often move.
The four IAF test pilots chosen for Gaganyaan
| Plane | Gp Capt Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair |
| Plane | Gp Capt Ajit Krishnan |
| Plane | Gp Capt Angad Pratap |
| Plane | Gp Capt Shubhanshu Shukla | First Indian on the International Space Station (2025) |
What comes next
- Bharatiya Antariksh Station (India's space station): first module targeted around 2028, full station by 2035.
- Chandrayaan-4: a mission to bring Moon samples back to Earth, approved by the government.
- An Indian on the Moon by 2040 — the long-term goal.
India's human spaceflight roadmap
| Gaganyaan G1 | Uncrewed test with the robot Vyommitra |
| Crewed Gaganyaan | First Indian crew — target 2027 |
| Space station | First module around 2028, full by 2035 |
| The Moon | An Indian on the Moon by 2040 |
Private companies in space
Since 2020, India has opened space to private firms:
- IN-SPACe — an agency that allows and helps private space companies.
- Indian Space Policy 2023 and easier foreign investment rules (2024).
- Skyroot launched India's first private rocket (Vikram-S, 2022). Agnikul flew a rocket with a 3D-printed engine (2024).
- Hundreds of space startups now work on satellites, launch and data.
The defence angle
- Mission Shakti (2019) showed India can destroy a satellite in orbit.
- A Defence Space Agency was set up in 2019 to handle the military side of space.
- NavIC — India's own navigation system — and military communication and Earth-watching satellites support the forces.
- Space is now a domain of warfare, like land, sea and air.
Questions the IO may ask you
"What do you know about Gaganyaan?"
What they check: Awareness, especially for Air Force candidates.
Cover these points:
- India's human spaceflight mission; uncrewed G1 with Vyommitra first.
- Four IAF test pilots chosen; Shubhanshu Shukla flew to the ISS in 2025.
- Crewed flight targeted for 2027.
"Which ISRO achievement makes you proud, and why?"
What they check: Real interest and the ability to explain.
Cover these points:
- Pick one (Chandrayaan-3, Mangalyaan or SpaDeX).
- Say what it did and why it matters — low cost, first attempt, south pole.
"Should a poor country spend on space?"
What they check: Whether you can defend a view with reasons.
Cover these points:
- Space helps ordinary people: weather forecasts, disaster warnings, navigation, communication, farming.
- ISRO's budget is small compared with its benefits.
- It also builds high-tech skills and national security.
Mistakes to avoid
- Don't say Chandrayaan-3 was the first Moon landing by anyone. It was the first near the south pole.
- Don't say Gaganyaan has already carried humans. Not yet (as of October 2026).
- Don't mix up Shubhanshu Shukla and Rakesh Sharma. Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian in space (1984, on a Soviet mission). Shukla was the first Indian on the ISS (2025).
- Don't guess launch dates. Say "planned for" or "targeted".
Useful GD topics: "Space: India's next frontier", "Should India spend on space when it has poverty?", "Private sector in space".
Point you can make: "ISRO reached Mars on its first try and landed near the Moon's south pole before anyone else, at a fraction of other countries' costs. Its satellites help farmers, fishermen and disaster teams every day."
Balance it: "Human spaceflight timelines have slipped, and India still needs more launches every year. Private companies can help ISRO move faster."
Key terms
- Gaganyaan
- India's human spaceflight mission
- Vyommitra
- The humanoid robot to fly on the first uncrewed Gaganyaan flight
- SpaDeX
- Space Docking Experiment — joining two satellites in orbit
- ASAT
- Anti-satellite weapon
- IN-SPACe
- Agency that authorises and supports private space companies
- NavIC
- India's own satellite navigation system
Mind map
- Mars on the first try, 2014
- Moon's south pole, 2023
- Docking, 2025
- Vikram Sarabhai
- Shubhanshu Shukla
- G1 with Vyommitra
- Crew in 2027
- 4 IAF test pilots
- Space station by 2035
- Moon by 2040
- Mission Shakti 2019
- Defence Space Agency
- NavIC
Quick revision before your interview
- ISRO 1969; Vikram Sarabhai.
- Mangalyaan 2014 (first attempt); Chandrayaan-3 south pole 23 Aug 2023.
- SpaDeX docking and Shubhanshu Shukla on the ISS — 2025.
- Gaganyaan: G1 (Vyommitra) first, crewed 2027; four IAF test pilots.
- Space station 2035; Indian on the Moon 2040.
Test yourself
Where did Chandrayaan-3 land in August 2023?
Answer: Near the Moon's south pole. India was the first country to land there.
Who was the first Indian to visit the International Space Station?
Answer: Shubhanshu Shukla. Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian in space (1984).
What will fly on Gaganyaan's first uncrewed test?
Answer: A humanoid robot called Vyommitra. The crewed flight is targeted for 2027.
What did Mission Shakti (2019) show?
Answer: India can destroy a satellite in orbit. It was an anti-satellite (ASAT) test.
Sources: ISRO mission pages; All India Radio News; The Week (October 2026) on Gaganyaan tests; Vision IAS and Drishti IAS science and technology notes.
SSBCircle — SSB interview preparation with real aspirants