Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address on Friday, announced that India will build its own space station. He said that India is working
towards becoming self-reliant in the space sector. Dr V Narayanan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), calling PM Modi a "great visionary leader", said that India will soon have its own space station. While speaking exclusively with Times Now, Dr Narayanan said, "PM Modi is a great visionary leader. As per his directions, we'll establish a space station by 2035." Speaking about India's growth in the space sector, the ISRO chairman said, "ISRO is operating in advanced stages now. There was a time when we had only one startup company. Today, we have over 300 companies contributing to our efforts." "We have a lot of approved projects. Chandrayan 4, Chandrayan 5, Venus Orbiter Mission, Crewed Space Mission.. We are also working on advanced rockets to carry 75,000 kgs to orbit," he added.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi, while addressing the nation from the Red Fort, said that India is working towards becoming self-reliant in the space sector, as well as preparing for the launch of Gaganyaan. Gaganyaan is India's flagship human spaceflight programme.
"We will make our own space station," PM Modi said in his Independence Day address. Thousands of youth are working on it. This is the power of our youth... This is the confidence we have in our youth," he said.
On the Gaganyaan project, ISRO chairman Dr Narayanan said, "Gaganyaan activities are going really well. The orbiter module is in the final phase of development. The crew escape system is almost complete."
"We are planning to have the first uncrewed mission by this year, followed by the actual crewed mission by the first quarter of 2027," he added.
The prime minister also said reforms brought in in recent times have enabled over 300 start-ups which are working in the space sector.
"The nation is proud of our space sector, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is back from the space station... in the days to come he will return to India," PM Modi said.
