Page 41 - NIS English 16-31 August 2025

National Space Day, August 23 | NATION

Satellites of 34 countries On 15 February 2017, satellites simultaneously in a
launched ISRO created a world single mission, which has not
India has so far launched satellites record by launching 104 been broken to date.
of 34 countries, including satellites
of developed countries since 2014. India’s first solar mission, Aditya L-1, was
launched in September 2023 and was aimed at
Country Satellites studying the Sun from an orbit around the
United States 232 Sun-Earth Lagrangian point 1 (L1), which is
United Kingdom 83 about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. In
February 2025, the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging
Singapore 19 Telescope (SUIT) on board Aditya-L1
Canada 8 obtained an unprecedented view of a
Korea 5 powerful solar intense fire ‘kernel’ in the lower
Luxembourg 4 solar atmosphere, namely the photosphere
Italy 4 and chromosphere.
Germany 3 Vikram-S
Belgium 3 Rocket Launch n With the ASAT test under Mission
Finland 3 Skyroot Shakti, India demonstrated the
ability to destroy enemy satellites
France 3 Aerospace, a in low Earth orbit. Now, only 4
Switzerland 2 Hyderabad- countries (the US, Russia, China,
based startup,
Netherlands 2 launched the and India) have this capability.
Japan 2 Vikram-S n The Spadex mission in January
Israel 2 rocket from 2025 made India the fourth
Spain 2 ISRO’s country capable of space docking.
Australia 1 Sriharikota Data from the successful AstroSat
UAE 1 launch centre launch in 2015 led to over 400
on 18
research papers and 30 thesis.
Austria 1 November n India has signed space
Includes 8 satellites from 2022. This is cooperation documents with 61
other countries. India’s first countries and five multilateral
private rocket bodies.
launch.

The country was suffering losses due to this. By opened the doors to new possibilities in this
improving the space sector, freeing it from all sector with continuous reforms since 2014. In
restrictions, and supporting the private industry the last decade, the space budget has increased
through IN-SPACe, the country has started a cam- almost three times, i.e., from Rs 5,615 crore in
paign to make the country a winner today. 2013-14 to Rs 13,416 crore in 2025-26. For the
India’s space journey, which began in 1962 first time, up to 100 percent foreign direct invest-
with the establishment of the Indian National ment has been allowed in the space sector. In
Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), has the year 2020, India opened the space sector for
seen many important milestones in the last 6 private companies by setting up a nodal agency
decades. But, in the last 11 years, this sector has in the form of IN-SPACe. While this boosted com-
not only established new dimensions of success petition, a new wave of innovation arose in this
due to strong willpower, but has also made its sector. As a result, more than 328 space startups
mark in the field of space diplomacy. India has have emerged in recent years. These startups

August 16-31, 2025 || NEW INDIA SAMACHAR 39