Ready, set, liftoff! How ISRO’s most powerful 40-Storey mega rocket aims to send 75,000 kg payload in one go

In a striking leap forward for India’s space programme, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has revealed plans for its most formidable rocket to date — a towering 40-storey vehicle engineered to carry an extraordinary 75,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit (LEO). The announcement was made by ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan during the convocation ceremony at Osmania University on Tuesday.

Narayanan reflected on how far India has come since the days of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s first indigenous rocket, a modest 17-tonne launcher that could manage just 35 kilograms in orbit. “We are now envisioning a rocket of 40-storey height capable of delivering 75,000 kg into orbit,” he said, calling it a defining step in India’s technological ascent.

This “super-heavy” rocket, referred to as the N1, is expected to become the backbone of future heavy-lift operations. It will stand alongside ISRO’s expanding roadmap, which includes:

• Enhancing India’s GPS alternative through the NAVIC satellite constellation.
• Launching a 6,500-kg American communications satellite — a signal of rising international confidence in Indian launch services.
• Deploying the Technology Demonstration Satellite (TDS).
• Sending GSAT-7R, the Indian Navy’s new communications satellite, into orbit as a replacement for GSAT-7.

Currently, India operates around 55 satellites for communication, navigation, defence, weather, and earth observation. Narayanan outlined a plan to triple this number within the next four years by scaling up both domestic and commercial launches.

By entering the race for super-heavy rockets — a domain already occupied by NASA’s Space Launch System, SpaceX’s Starship, and China’s Long March 9 — India signals its intent to compete with the world’s most advanced spacefaring nations. Analysts say such a vehicle could be transformational for India’s human spaceflight ambitions under Gaganyaan, for deep-space exploration, and for future missions to the Moon and Mars. The rocket would also allow India to launch space-station modules, massive clusters of satellites, or interplanetary probes in single flights.

Beyond science, the project carries strategic and economic implications. A larger fleet of surveillance and communication satellites would significantly strengthen India’s security presence in the Indian Ocean Region, while enhanced heavy-lift capacity could expand India’s role in the lucrative global satellite launch market, currently dominated by SpaceX and a handful of other players.

The progression from launching 35-kg payloads to planning a 75,000-kg mega-rocket captures six decades of India’s space journey. Once dependent on foreign launchers, ISRO has since built a reputation for cost-effective, high-impact missions such as Chandrayaan-3’s lunar south pole landing and the Mangalyaan Mars orbiter. The upcoming rocket signals a new chapter — one where sheer launch power becomes India’s edge in the global space race.