Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: PRIME Minister Narendra Modi has highlighted India’s remarkable space journey at the GLEX 2025, stating that, “space is not merely a destination but a declaration of curiosity, courage, and collective progress”.
He said that India’s space achievements reflect this spirit, from launching a small rocket in 1963 to becoming the first nation to land near the Moon’s South Pole.
“Indian rockets carry more than payloads—they carry the dreams of 1.4 billion Indians”, he remarked on May 7, stating that India’s space advancements are significant scientific milestones and proof that the human spirit can defy gravity.
He recalled India’s historic achievement of reaching Mars on its first attempt in 2014. He highlighted that Chandrayaan-1 helped discover water on the Moon, Chandrayaan-2 provided the highest-resolution images of the lunar surface, and Chandrayaan-3 furthered understanding of the Moon’s South Pole.
“India developed cryogenic engines in record time, launched 100 satellites in a single mission, and successfully deployed over 400 satellites for 34 nations using Indian launch vehicles”, he pointed out, underlining India’s latest accomplishment—docking two satellites in space this year—calling it a major step forward in space exploration.
PM Modi reaffirmed that India’s space journey is not about competing with others but about reaching greater heights together. He emphasised the collective goal of exploring space for the benefit of humanity.
He highlighted India’s commitment to regional cooperation, recalling the successful launch of a satellite for South Asian nations.
“India’s first human spaceflight mission, ‘Gaganyaan,’ reflects the nation’s growing aspirations in space technology”, he pointed out. PM Modi revealed that, in the coming weeks, an Indian astronaut would travel to space as part of a joint ISRO-NASA mission to the International Space Station. He further outlined India’s long-term vision, stating that by 2035, the Bharatiya Antariksha Station would facilitate groundbreaking research and international collaboration. He declared that by 2040, an Indian astronaut would leave footprints on the Moon and added that Mars and Venus remain key targets in India’s future space ambitions.
