In January 1, 2024, as ISRO’s PSLV C58 surged into the skies, leaving a feathery plume of exhaust trailing behind it, a new chapter in India’s space exploration was charted.
Carrying the XPoSat mission along with 10 payloads on the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 into the orbits, ISRO was sending a message to the world: India is rising as a global Space powerhouse, and that right now is the moment to contribute with bold, shared ambitions to solutions enabled by space.
The launch of C58 symbolised the dynamism and collaborative spirit of India’s space programme. At its core was a nearly 470-kilogram satellite dedicated to studying supernovae, neutron stars and blackholes — an ambitious leap in scientific research.
Equally noteworthy was the growing wave of Indian startups and research institutes poised to space-qualify their own technologies, underscoring the nation’s increasingly vital role in the global space ecosystem. Among these payloads was Dhruva Space’s P-30 nanosatellite, a radiation-shielding payload from TakeMe2Space, and three experiments from academic institutes.
Building on the momentum following the C58 launch, the world observed two PSLV launches, a GSLV launch and an SSLV launch – as well as the deployment of GSAT-20 aboard SpaceX’s highlighting the growing international collaboration that is fast becoming a hallmark of India’s space goals.
Human spaceflight was one of the defining buzzwords of 2024, and for many of us – myself included – it feels like a dream that is finally within reach. The upcoming Gaganyaan mission, set for 2028, as well as the conceptualisation of the Bharatiya Antariksha Station of India are monumental steps forward, and many private companies are gearing up to contribute critical technologies to these endeavours.
Beyond demonstration, towards commercialisation
Inspirational missions such as those of ISRO and the private sector – now comprising more than 1000 registered startups – will help drive innovation in the new space economy. For the early groundswell of space startups, such as Dhruva Space, Skyroot, Pixxel, Manastu Space, Agnikul Cosmos and more, it has become imperative to commercialise their space-qualified products and many have started securing and fulfilling orders for clients across government, academia and enterprise verticals.
To meet growing demands for access to space as well as space-enabled applications, the private sector is developing infrastructure accordingly; in January, Pixxel opened the doors of its 30,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, Skyroot Aerospace inaugurated a 60,000 square-foot facility in October and in the same month, Dhruva Space kicked off construction of its 280,000 square-foot spacecraft manufacturing facility – the latter two in Hyderabad.
India’s space ecosystem remains a global model of cost-efficiency, with strong investment momentum. The Rs 1,000 Crore venture capital fund proposed by IN-SPACe offers a significant opportunity for space startups at both early and growth stages alongside other remarkable initiatives of IN-SPACe, ISRO and iDEX - DIO.
From the eyes of the founder of India’s first space-tech startup, 2024 seemed to be the year of continued ambition for all. Ambition is what drove Dr Vikram Sarabhai to initiate space research in India, it is what fuelled the culmination of INCOSPAR – now ISRO – and it is what continues to be the lifeblood of India’s Space goals.