The Indian Space Research Organisation has launched nearly double the number of missions in the period from 2015 to 2025 compared to the missions launched between 2005 and 2015, Chairman V Narayanan said on Thursday while giving updates on the “phenomenal and exponential” growth of the organisation in Delhi. The ISRO Chairman also praised Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla for being the first Indian to return from the International Space Station.

“In last 10 years, the progress is phenomenal, exponential. With respect to missions, between 2015 and 2025 the number of missions were almost doubled compared to 2005-2015. During the last six months, three important missions were completed. Axiom 4 mission is a very prestigious mission, successfully accomplished. First Indian to be brought back safely from the International Space Station (ISS), we have the Gaganyaanatri Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla,” Narayanan said during the conference.

Narayanan addressed the press conference in Delhi along with Union Minister Jitendra Singh and Gaganyaan astronauts Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Group Captain Prasanth Nair.

Giving details on the upcoming projects of ISRO, the Chairman said that in the next 2 to 3 months another NASA-ISRO mission will be launched with India’s launch vehicle set to carry a 6,500 kg satellite into orbit.

“In 2-3 months, around 6,500 kg communication satellites of USA are going to be launched using our launch vehicle. Until today, 433 satellites of 34 countries are done from India,” he added.

The ISRO Chairman also said that G20 satellites will be provided to different countries.

Speaking about the earlier projects, Narayanan praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the increasing number Indian startups and for the development of the South Asian satellites which were designed, built, launched in India and given to other nations.

“After Modi took over as Prime Minister of country, the south Asian satellite was conceived, built, launched and donated to south Asian countries. Under his leadership we are also realising the G20 satellite for G20 countries. 10 years ago we had only one startup company in the space area. Today, we have more than 300 startups in the space industry... There are two suborbital missions done by private companies,” Narayanan said.

Since the first rocket launch on 21 November 1963 from Thumba near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, ISRO has carried out 133 satellite missions, 102 launch vehicle missions, 5 technology demonstration missions, and 4217 rockets, with a total of 240 missions. In addition, 433 satellites of 34 countries have been launched from India.