ISRO plans 50 launches per year by 2029
ISRO is rapidly becoming an entity that holds a leading position with World’s top three Space organizations. It is going for a high-frequency, multi-partner operational model — blending national capability, industrial collaboration, and scientific advancement to secure India’s position as one of the world’s leading spacefaring nation.
India is now going to vastly scale up its operational tempo. ISRO chairman V Narayanan has confirmed that the organisation is building the infrastructure to handle up to 50 launches annually by 2029, marking a transformative phase for India’s space programme.
ISRO currently has only two launchpads at Sriharikota, which has limited its capacity. To overcome this, a new launch site is rapidly coming up at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu as the country’s second launch site.
Scheduled for completion by the end of 2027, this facility will primarily handle SSLV operations and contribute up to 25 launches per year. Simultaneously, Sriharikota will see the addition of a third launchpad by 2029, intended to augment the existing infrastructure for heavier missions. Together, the two spaceports are expected to enable around 50 combined launches each year. The plan also envisions smaller, privately operated pads to further increase launch frequency and diversity.
Narayanan emphasised that startups are free to collaborate internationally, including with SpaceX, aligning with the Prime Minister’s directive to build a decentralised yet robust ecosystem rather than a restrictive one. The participation of private industry and academia is central to this approach.
On the technology front, the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) is progressing through design finalisation and prototype hardware realisation stages. With a development cycle spanning 7–8 years, the rocket’s new semi-cryogenic engine will undergo extensive testing over the next three years.
Meanwhile, India’s first fully industry-built PSLV — jointly produced by HAL and L&T — is almost ready for its maiden flight. It will carry a technology demonstration satellite featuring 34 experimental payloads.
Regarding the Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, Narayanan detailed the sequence of upcoming tests. The first uncrewed test flight (G1) is scheduled for later this year, followed by the second test vehicle mission (TV-D2) and a subsequent uncrewed flight (G2).
TV-D2 will validate abort capabilities in a different flight environment than TV-D1, helping ensure crew safety under varied conditions. Minor improvements to the test vehicle have been made, but the immediate focus remains on completing G1 successfully.
