The year 2023 has been quite exciting for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), from the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon's surface to collaborations with private companies to expand the space program.
Globally, after India's successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 rover Pragyan on lunar crater, countries across the globe hailed ISRO and lauded India's pocket-friendly space mission.
Chandrayaan-3: Lunar Exploration
And, it all started from Chandrayaan-3. On August 23, India carved its name in the annals of history as it achieved an extraordinary feat - the triumphant landing of its rover on the moon's South Pole, making it the pioneer in this remarkable endeavour.India became the fourth nation to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. India received congratulations on its mission across the globe from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Elon Musk. Musk even compared the budget of India's moon mission with the Hollywood film Interstellar.
Chandrayaan-3 was India's third lunar mission. The live-streaming of Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar surface garnered 8.06 million views, making it the most watched live-streaming on YouTube.
Adity L1: Sending a Spacecraft to the Sun
Launched in September, the Aditya L1 mission, in which India aims to send its spacecraft to Langrage point-1.
While India has carried out experiments to study the Sun using satellites earlier, Aditya-L1 is the country's first dedicated solar mission. Aditya-L1 is also ISRO's second astronomy observatory-class mission after AstroSat (2015).
According to the latest update, the Aditya-L1 mission will reach its destination during the first week of January.
India Space Policy 2023: More Private Players In Space Startup
The increase in any start-up shows investors' interest and trust in agencies. The number of space startups increased from one in 2014 to 189 in 2023.
Meanwhile, the Indian government has introduced the Indian Space Policy 2023 to encourage the participation of non-governmental entities in the industry.
In 2023, private investment in Indian space startups has also been substantial, with over INR 10 billion ($120 million) invested since April 2023.
It is predicted that the Indian space industry has the potential to achieve a $1 trillion global space market by 2040.
Meanwhile, ISRO launched over 430 foreign satellites (overall), crossing its earnings from European satellites by about 290 million euros, while revenue from American satellites surpasses USD 170 million.
Call Down To Gaganyaan Mission
India, in October, successfully carried out the first space rocket launch as part of its upcoming orbital crewed mission.
Gaganyaan was the country's first crewed space mission. The Gaganyaan mission aims to send three Indian cosmonauts into space for three days at the Low Earth Orbit of 400km sometime in 2025.