India targets surge in civil and commercial launches

India is planning up to 30 launches over 15 months, indicating the ambition for a significant rise in both civil and commercial launch activities.

The launch plans are a mix of scientific, commercial, user-funded and technology demonstration missions across the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023-24 and the fiscal year 2024-25, Spacenews reports.

Seven test launches will serve India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight project, with nine others under the aegis of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Another 14 launches are dedicated to India’s nascent commercial space sector and arranged by the New Space India Limited (NSIL).

The private plans consist of suborbital and orbital launches by commercial firms Agnikul Cosmos—with the Agnibaan SOrTeD (Suborbital Tech Demonstrator)—and Skyroot Aerospace (Vikram-1).

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), an independent nodal agency under the Department of Space established to promote, enable, regulate, and supervise commercial activities, released the launch manifest on February 8.

The manifest includes the completed early January launch of an X-ray astronomy satellite and the upcoming INSAT-3DS meteorological satellite mission. The latter is due to launch on GSLV-F14 at 7:00 a.m. Eastern on February 17.

The moves follow a new national space policy introduced in 2023, with reforms targeting making India a global space hub. The ambitions also indicate an expanding space ecosystem with growing private involvement.