ISRO's blockbuster 2025 lineup: Chandrayaan-4, Gaganyaan Missions, and NVS-02 satellite launch

Regarding Gaganyaan, Somnath stated that ISRO will conduct two uncrewed test flights as part of the ambitious Gaganyaan Mission. These flights are tentatively scheduled for the first quarter of this year.

With a stellar lineup of exciting missions, 2025 will be an action-packed year for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The premier space agency has announced the launch of its 100th mission, which is tentatively slated for this month. ISRO will attempt to launch the NVS-02 satellite aboard its trusted GSLV sometime in January.

This 100th mission aims to successfully deploy the second-generation satellite of the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system and is expected to enhance India's navigation capabilities in the region.

Discussing ISRO's 2025 roadmap, ISRO Chairman S. Somanath mentioned that the NVS-02 launch is among several key operations the agency will carry out this year. He also provided a concrete timeline for Chandrayaan-4, stating that the final docking of the lunar mission will occur around January 7. This announcement comes just days after ISRO successfully managed the PSLV-C60 launch, which carried the SpaDeX and other payloads.

Regarding Gaganyaan, Somnath stated that ISRO will conduct two uncrewed test flights as part of the ambitious Gaganyaan Mission. These flights are tentatively scheduled for the first quarter of this year. If the uncrewed flights are successful, ISRO plans to launch a crewed mission in the third quarter of 2025. The Gaganyaan mission is India's ticket to joining the elite club of countries with crewed space operations. This mission aims to make India the fourth country to achieve independent human spaceflight missions.

Another critical mission that ISRO will launch this year is EOS-05, also known as GISAT-2. This Earth observation satellite will provide precise geospatial imagery and will also aid in quickly detecting natural disasters from space.

Indian Data Relay Satellite System (IDRSS) is another key mission in ISRO's 2025 lineup. Two satellites - IDRSS-1 and IDRSS-2 - will be launched in 2025 and 2026, respectively. IDRSS will aid in real-time communication between low Earth orbit spacecraft and ground stations. Such satellites are very important for major programmes such as Gaganyaan.