ISRO Year End Review 2025 - Key Achievements | UPSC-Curated | GS-III

Core Update

ISRO achieved historic milestones in 2025 including India's first space docking (SpaDeX), 100th launch from Sriharikota, NISAR joint mission with NASA, and significant progress on Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.

SpaDeX Mission - India's First Space Docking

Launch: PSLV-C60 on 30 December 2024
Docking Achieved: 16 January 2025 at 474 km circular orbit
Significance: India became 4th country after USA, Russia, China to demonstrate in-space docking
Technologies Demonstrated: Docking, undocking, power transfer, circumnavigation
Second Docking: 20 April 2025 with power transfer on 21 April 2025

NISAR - Indo-US Collaboration

Launch: GSLV-F16 on 30 July 2025
Weight: 2,392 kg
Unique Feature: First satellite with dual-frequency SAR (NASA's L-band + ISRO's S-band)
Antenna: NASA's 12m unfurlable mesh reflector
Coverage: Entire globe at 12-day intervals

Gaganyaan Programme Status

Original Budget: ₹9,023 crore (January 2019)
Revised Budget: ₹20,193 crore (October 2024)
Scope Expansion: 3 to 8 missions including 4 precursor missions for Bharatiya Antariksh Station
First Crewed Mission Target: 2027-28
Key Achievement: ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla completed Axiom-04 mission to ISS (June 2025)

Other Key Achievements 2025

100th Launch: GSLV-F15/NVS-02 on 29 January 2025
CROPS: First plant growth experiment in orbit (cowpea germination)
Third Launch Pad: Cabinet approved at SDSC Sriharikota
Semi-Cryogenic Engine: Third successful hot test of 2000kN engine

Space Vision 2047 Targets

Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035
Indian on Moon by 2040
Key projects: Chandrayaan-4 (Sample Return), Chandrayaan-5/LUPEX, Venus Orbiter Mission, NGLV

UPSC Relevance

GS-III: Space Technology, Indigenization, Scientific Achievements

Prelims Trap Alert

⚠️ SpaDeX demonstrated DOCKING technology (physical connection), not just rendezvous (proximity approach). Docking is required for space station assembly and crewed missions.

CivisPrime Tip

💡 Remember the "4 countries with docking capability": USA, Russia, China, India (2025). This is essential for Bharatiya Antariksh Station and Moon landing missions.

Source

Press Information Bureau (PIB)

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