ISRO’s 2026 roadmap: More satellites, space station, Moon mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing for a busy launch calendar in 2026 , with plans to undertake multiple satellite missions , even as the space agency continues detailed investigations into recent anomalies involving its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) , Chairman V. Narayanan said on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, Narayanan said ISRO was working on several missions scheduled for the year and that a formal announcement detailing the number and nature of satellite launches would be made after consultations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi . “We are planning to send a lot of satellites. A lot of work is going on. After meeting the Prime Minister, we will announce them,” he said.

Narayanan also outlined ISRO’s longer-term ambitions , noting that the organisation has several major missions lined up under the leadership of the Prime Minister. These include plans to establish an Indian space station , undertake human spaceflight missions to the Moon , and safely bring astronauts back to Earth . He added that India maintains strong cooperation in space exploration with around 60 friendly countries , describing international collaborations as beneficial.

On the recent anomaly encountered during the PSLV-C62 mission , Narayanan said scientists were continuing to analyse the issue. The mission, launched on January 12 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre , suffered a deviation near the end of the third stage of flight , preventing the primary payload, DRDO’s Earth observation satellite EOS-N1 (Anvesha) , and 15 co-passenger satellites from being placed into their intended orbit.

Narayanan reiterated that the PSLV is a four-stage rocket and confirmed that the deviation occurred after the completion of the third stage . He added that while a detailed technical analysis is underway , no comprehensive investigation report has been released publicly so far .

The PSLV-C62 anomaly follows a similar setback during the PSLV-C61 mission in May 2025 , which also encountered a third-stage issue , resulting in the loss of the EOS-09 satellite. ISRO had constituted a failure analysis committee , but its findings have not been made public , prompting attention within the space community due to the back-to-back nature of the anomalies .

Despite the recent setbacks, ISRO said its broader mission roadmap remains intact , with multiple satellite launches and human spaceflight and technology development missions planned in the coming period.

Responding to remarks by astronaut Sunita Williams on India-US cooperation, Narayanan said ISRO continues to work closely with several global partners .

Addressing the student community, Narayanan urged young people to focus on mastering their academic subjects while also paying attention to overall personality development , saying both were essential for contributing to the nation’s scientific progress.