ISRO's Big 2025 Wins: Indian Astronaut Returns from ISS, 100th Launch and NISAR Goes Live
ISRO's landmark 2025: Shubhanshu Shukla’s ISS mission, 100th Sriharikota launch and NISAR success.
2025 proved to be a landmark year for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), with a mix of historic achievements, technological milestones, and lessons from rare mission setbacks. The year highlighted India’s expanding footprint in space, human missions, climate monitoring, and undersea exploration.
The highlight of the year was the Axiom-4 mission, during which Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla spent 18 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Orbiting Earth 280 times and traveling nearly 12 million kilometers, Shukla conducted seven scientific experiments ranging from muscle repair to neurological studies, while engaging in public outreach with schools and the Prime Minister.
ISRO also marked its 100th satellite launch from Sriharikota with the NVS-02 navigation satellite, aimed at enhancing NavIC signals. While the mission successfully lifted off aboard GSLV-F15, a valve malfunction left the satellite in an elliptical orbit, prompting further assessment of its operational capabilities.
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The year saw a rare PSLV setback with the EOS-09 satellite, intended for radar imaging of agriculture and disaster zones. A third-stage anomaly prevented it from reaching its intended orbit, ending PSLV’s long streak of consecutive successes and underscoring the risks inherent in spaceflight.
On a brighter note, the NISAR mission—a joint ISRO-NASA climate-monitoring satellite—entered its operational phase. Equipped with L- and S-band radars, it will provide high-resolution imaging of forests, glaciers, and coastal regions, marking one of the most ambitious international collaborations in ISRO’s history. Additionally, CMS-03, India’s heaviest communication satellite, was successfully launched in November, enhancing nationwide connectivity.
2025 also showcased ISRO’s strides in indigenous technology. The launch of India’s first space-grade microprocessors, VIKRAM3201 and KALPANA3201, strengthened self-reliance, while advances in avionics systems and pressure sensors set the stage for future missions. Beyond space, the MATSYA-6000 submersible sphere, built for 6-km-deep ocean dives, highlighted ISRO’s contribution to India’s Samudrayaan deep-sea exploration project, combining advanced welding techniques and rigorous testing to ensure safety under extreme conditions.
The year concluded as a pivotal chapter for ISRO, balancing innovation, international partnerships, and technical challenges, setting the stage for India’s next generation of space and undersea exploration.
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