From launches to conferences, awards to reviews, DoS claims 231 achievements in ’25

Bengaluru: The Department of Space in a statement issued late Thursday has outlined a wide-ranging set of activities undertaken by India’s space programme, from ground/lab tests (big and small) to awards Isro received, and from conferences it conducted to committee reviews, and claimed that there were “231 achievements” in 2025.

While DoS described the year as both demanding and productive across missions, technology development, applications and institutional reforms, the 231 accomplishments appear a consolidated, internal accounting figure, not fully elaborated in the statement.

As part of successes, DoS has counted every launch mission as two — launch vehicle and satellite — which takes the total launch missions attempted in the year to 10, instead of five. “Out of the 10 missions, which included a commercial spacecraft, seven were successful,” DoS said. However, if every launch mission is considered as one, then, Isro launched five missions in 2025, of which two had failed.

Among the notable achievements was SpaDeX, which demonstrated autonomous docking and undocking between two satellites, along with power transfer in orbit. The mission also included controlled circumnavigation, placing India among a small group of countries to have demonstrated docking technologies relevant for future space stations and in-orbit servicing.

The PSLV-C60 mission carrying SpaDeX satellites, which was launched in Dec 2024, also flew the fourth edition of the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module, or Poem-04, which hosted payloads from Isro centres, start-ups and academic institutions. The platform completed more than 1,000 orbits and supported experiments including a robotic arm demonstration and seed germination in microgravity in 2025.

Another milestone listed was the GSLV-F16 launch of Nisar, the first joint satellite mission between Isro and Nasa, while missions using the LVM3 launcher marked further progress. The LVM3-M5 and LVM3-M6 missions carried the heaviest satellites launched from Indian soil so far, while also validating design changes aimed at improving payload capacity and introducing electromechanical actuation in solid rocket motors.

On the technology front, DoS reported advances in propulsion, including tests of an indigenous semicryogenic engine (CE-20) and demonstrations related to restarting cryogenic and liquid engines. A static test of the SSLV’s third-stage motor, built with a carbon-epoxy case, was conducted in Dec 2025.

Preparation for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, it said, continued through extensive ground testing, reviews and simulations. The agency said propulsion systems for the first uncrewed mission have completed human-rating tests.

Parachute deployment and recovery systems were also tested through air-drop and drogue parachute trials. Experience from the Axiom-4 mission, which carried Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station, is being fed back into training and mission planning.

DoS also listed initiatives part of space-sector reforms—facilities being used by non-govt entities, formalisation of technology transfer of SSLV to HAL, authorisations granted to private players.

In applications, space-based data supported disaster management, flood mapping, lightning monitoring and geospatial services for multiple ministries and state govts. Infrastructure projects, including the approval of a Third Launch Pad and new propulsion and test facilities, were part of the achievements list.

So far as awards go, DoS said: “The year brought 23 national & international laurels including major awards like IAA Von Karman Award of 2025, AIAA Goddard Astronautics award for Chandrayaan-3 landing, Broglio Award by Italian Aerospace Industry Association, Vigyan Sri Puraskar 2025, Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2025, ASI and National Geospatial Award 2025.”

It added that DoS was also awarded the Rajbhasha Kirti Award (second prize) for 2024–25 for best implementation of Official Language Hindi.