August 10, 2025

ISRO Chairman V Narayanan painted a colorful picture of India’s space journey, filled with amazing growth and shining moments. "It all started with a tiny rocket given by the United States on November 21, 1963," he said during a special event near Chennai. Back then, India was 6-7 years behind the advanced countries in space tech. Fast forward to July 30, 2025, when ISRO proudly launched the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite using the GSLV-F16 rocket. This satellite is the most expensive ever built worldwide! It carries an L Band SAR payload from the US and an S Band payload made by ISRO. The US team from NASA praised ISRO for the perfect launch. But wait, there’s more drama in this space saga! In just a couple of months, ISRO will launch a massive 6,500 kg communication satellite made by the US, using an Indian launcher from Indian soil. Chairman Narayanan exclaimed, "What a significant growth it is!" He also reminisced how in 1975, India used US satellite data to demonstrate mass communication by connecting 2,400 TV sets in villages across six states. That was a humble yet huge leap! From zero satellite tech 50 years ago to now launching 433 satellites of 34 different countries, ISRO has truly come a long way. Narayanan received an honorary Doctor of Science degree at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, and he celebrated the fact that India now stands shoulder to shoulder with the world's space giants. This journey from a tiny rocket to giant satellites is a shining example of India’s self-reliance, precision, and powerful spirit in space exploration.

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Tags: Isro, Nasa, Nisar satellite, Gslv f16, Indian space program, Communication satellite,