With many high-profile space missions that highlight India’s growing capabilities in human spaceflight, Earth observation, and international cooperation, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is set for a historic May–July 2025 timeframe.
The scheduled spaceflight of Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS) on May 29, 2025, as part of Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission, is the period’s main event. This mission not only represents a major advancement in India’s international space collaborations, but it also paves the way for the domestic Gaganyaan crewed mission.
This mission-experience will directly inform and enhance India’s own human spaceflight ambitions. Group Captain Shukla, a decorated test pilot shortlisted under ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Program (HSP), will gain invaluable hands-on experience in spaceflight operations, microgravity adaptation, and emergency protocols.
This three-month window is jam-packed with strategically significant and technologically sophisticated missions on ISRO’s launch agenda.
The EOS-09 Earth observation satellite will launch aboard the PSLV-C61 rocket on May 18. This satellite, which has a C-band synthetic aperture radar, would greatly improve India’s surveillance and disaster management capabilities by offering high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface in any weather or at any time of day.
The Test Vehicle-D2 (TV-D2), a crucial part of the Gaganyaan program, is another important mission. To thoroughly test the Crew Escape System and other essential elements, including sea recovery operations, control systems, thermal protection, parachutes, and a reduced life support system, TV-D2 will replicate an abort scenario. To guarantee the security and dependability of upcoming crewed missions under the Gaganyaan program, these tests are crucial.
NASA and ISRO will work together to launch the NISAR satellite on the GSLV-F16 rocket in June. An important Earth observation mission called NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) will use dual-frequency radar—NASA’s L-band and ISRO’s S-band—to survey the entire planet every 12 days. The satellite will offer a fresh viewpoint on Earth’s dynamic processes by providing vital data on ecosystems, ice sheets, sea level rise, and natural dangers including landslides and earthquakes.
In July, ISRO will carry out the LVM3-M5 mission, which will launch BlueBird Block-2 satellites for AST SpaceMobile Inc., USA, as part of the commercial program of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). This mission demonstrates ISRO’s expanding market share in the global commercial space launch industry as well as its capacity to provide cutting-edge satellite placement services to clients around the world.
When taken as a whole, these missions represent a time of rapid development for ISRO and show that India is prepared to take the lead in international space exploration, technology development, and commercial space operations. Modern Earth observation satellites, multinational partnerships, and the impending human spaceflight establish India as a self-assured and progressive spacefaring country.
