ISRO and the Next Big Challenge

Context

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved major milestones in lunar, solar, and Earth-observation missions while preparing for human spaceflight and next-generation launch systems. At the same time, concerns are being raised about capacity constraints, governance clarity, and competitiveness in a liberalised space sector.

Recent Achievements of ISRO

• Chandrayaan-3 (2023): Successful soft landing on the Moon, placing India among countries with proven lunar-landing capability.
• Aditya-L1 (Jan 2024): India’s first solar observatory reached the Sun-Earth L1 point.
• NISAR Mission (2025): NASA–ISRO joint Earth-observation mission for climate and disaster monitoring.
• SpaDeX (Dec 2024): Successful demonstration of Space Docking—a critical precursor for building the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS).
• RLV-LEX-03 (June 2024): Completion of autonomous landing tests for “Pushpa,” proving the feasibility of reusable launch vehicles.
• Future roadmap: 7 launches planned by March 2026, including uncrewed Gaganyaan

Reasons Behind the Success

• Low-Cost Innovation: ISRO continues to utilize its “frugal engineering” model, but with increasing complexity (e.g., the modular design of Chandrayaan-4).
• Strategic Reforms: The 2020 reforms led to the creation of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) as regulator and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) as commercial arm, allowing ISRO to focus more on R&D while offloading commercial launches.
• Global Collaboration: Deepening ties with NASA (NISAR) and JAXA (LUPEX/Chandrayaan-4) have provided access to advanced sensors and shared funding.

Challenges  

• Capacity and Execution Constraints: The heavy focus on “big-ticket” missions (Gaganyaan, Chandrayaan-4) creates a “Sovereignty Trap,” where routine satellite replenishment and private sector support get delayed.
  • g., In 2025, ISRO managed only 5 launches despite a target of 8.
  • Private launch firms (Skyroot, Agnikul) still depend on ISRO for test stands and launch pads, meaning if one ISRO mission hits a snag, the entire ecosystem stalls.
• Infrastructure and Industrial Limitations: Insufficient integration facilities, test stands, and supply-chain depth for structures, avionics, and propulsion.
  • Private launch providers still depend heavily on ISRO infrastructure, limiting work offloading.
  • Medium-lift dependence (PSLV/GSLV) restricts competitiveness in a global market moving towards heavy-lift and reusable systems.
• Governance and Legal Ambiguity: Under the 1972 UN Liability Convention, the government (ISRO) is liable for any private mission failure. Without a National Space Law, private entities hesitate to scale due to insurance and liability uncertainties..
  • Despite 2020 reforms, ISRO continues to be treated as a default regulator and technical certifier.
  • Overlapping roles between ISRO, IN-SPACe, and NSIL reduce institutional clarity.
• Competitiveness and Financial Constraints: Global space sector is shifting towards High-frequency launches, Partial reusability & Rapid satellite manufacturing.
  • While the space budget rose to ₹13,415 crore in 2025-26, private investment saw a global cooling in 2024.
  • NGLV development demands large capital, advanced manufacturing, and deep industrial ecosystems, which are still evolving in India.

Way Forward

• NGLV (Soorya): Transitioning to the Next-Generation Launch Vehicle, which targets a 30-tonne payload to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with a reusable first stage.
• Space Activities Bill: Passing comprehensive legislation to give IN-SPACe statutory authority.
• Industrial Offloading: Shifting the production of established rockets like the PSLV to the HAL-L&T consortium, allowing ISRO scientists to focus solely on R&D.
• VC & Technology Funds: The operationalization of the ₹1,000-crore Venture Capital Fund by IN-SPACe (targeted to support 40 startups over 5 years) aims to bridge the gap between prototypes and scalable products.

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