Plan to launch at least 12 missions this year: Isro
Hindustan TimesNew Delhi: After a spectacular 2023 that saw the country land a spacecraft on the Moon and launch another to study the Sun, the Indian Space Research Organisation will carry out at least 12 launches this year, surpassing previous records, chairman S Somanath said on Monday. It may also go up depending on our ability to produce the hardware and complete testing,” Somanath said at a media briefing after the successful launch of India’s first polarimetry mission, the X-ray Polarimeter Satellite, a space observatory that will study black holes and other celestial objects. Besides the launches, the space agency also conducted key technology demonstrations that pave the way for future missions for the Gaganyaan spacecraft and a reusable launch vehicle. The Gaganyaan, India’s first human space flight mission, will carry a crew of three astronauts to an orbit 400km above the earth’s surface for a three-day mission and bring them back safely. The prerequisites for Gaganyaan mission include development of many critical technologies, including a human-rated launch vehicle for carrying crew safely to space and back, life support systems to provide an Earth-like environment, and an emergency escape system.