ISRO Chief Narayanan Highlights Mission Operations as Key to Space Success

ISRO Chairman V Narayanan on Wednesday emphasised that mission operations are key to the success of India’s expanding space programme, underlining their importance for long-duration missions. He spoke at the three-day Spacecraft Mission Operations (SMOPS‑2026) conference , themed “Innovative Operations for Smart and Sustainable Space Mission Management – Next Generation”.

Addressing a gathering of scientists, engineers, industry experts, and students , Narayanan welcomed delegates from leading global space agencies, including Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CNES (France) . He described the event as a major international platform, bringing together startups, experts, and ecosystem partners to share knowledge and best practices in mission operations.

Highlighting India’s recent successes, Narayanan pointed to the Chandrayaan‑3 mission and its historic landing near the Moon’s south pole as a product of sustained teamwork, operational precision, and strong leadership in mission control . Recalling the challenges after Chandrayaan‑2 , he said the subsequent success demonstrated India’s technological resilience and earned global recognition.

Tracing the evolution of India’s space programme since its inception in 1962, Narayanan noted that while launch vehicles operate briefly , spacecraft require long-term monitoring and control , sometimes over two to 15 years . He stressed that even minor errors in command execution could jeopardise entire missions, commending engineers, software teams, and planners for maintaining mission health.

Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud-based systems were highlighted as transforming mission operations. Narayanan also cited other key milestones since the last SMOPS event, including space docking experiments and the Aditya‑L1 solar mission , noting that each mission demanded advanced operational strategies .

On human spaceflight, he described Gaganyaan as a defining step for India, with preparations underway for the first uncrewed mission , followed by two more before the crewed flight. He highlighted challenges such as human-rating launch vehicles, crew escape systems, environmental control, life-support systems, and human-machine interfaces, describing the programme as a coordinated national effort involving multiple laboratories.

Narayanan said the conference would feature over 400 papers , offering insights for students, startups, and engineers working in space mission operations. He reiterated that while a launch vehicle functions for only a few minutes, mission operations continue for years, underscoring their long-term significance for communication satellites and interplanetary missions.