What is India’s plan to have its own space station and how will it benefit our space programme?
Approach · directive: “what / how”
What it asks · Describe India's plan for its own space station, announced by ISRO in 2019 as a follow-on to Gaganyaan and since given shape as the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, and explain how it would strengthen the space programme.
The question has 2 parts — answer each
- What: India's plan for its own space station (the 2019 announcement, since shaped as the Bharatiya Antariksh Station)
- How it will benefit the space programme
Open with · In June 2019 ISRO announced that India would build and run its own space station rather than join the International Space Station.
Cover
- Plan: a modular station in low Earth orbit, built as a follow-on to the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission, for crewed stays and microgravity research.
- Timeline: announced by ISRO chairman K Sivan in June 2019; the Cabinet approved the first module, BAS-1, in September 2024, with its launch targeted for 2028 and the full station for 2035.
- Science: a permanent microgravity laboratory for research in materials, biology, medicine and physical sciences, plus in-orbit tests of new technologies.
- Capability: docking, life support, crew transfer and long-duration human presence build skills needed for deeper missions, including a crewed lunar landing targeted for 2040.
- Autonomy and industry: a national station lets India set its own research agenda and partnerships, and gives firms and start-ups, supported by IN-SPACe, new work.
- Challenges: high cost, life-support and radiation risks, heavy-lift launch capacity, docking reliability and the need to justify spending against social priorities.
Close with · A station would turn Gaganyaan's first crewed flight into a lasting human presence in orbit, provided cost, safety and launch capacity are managed well.
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2019, GS Paper III — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 207 words (UPSC limit 150) · Minimalist IAS
In June 2019 ISRO announced that India would build and run its own space station in low Earth orbit rather than join the International Space Station.
The plan
- A modular station as the follow-on to Gaganyaan, India's first human spaceflight mission, for crewed stays and microgravity research.
- Announced by ISRO chairman K Sivan in June 2019; since then the Cabinet approved the first module, BAS-1 of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, in September 2024, targeting launch in 2028 and the full station by 2035.
Benefits to the space programme
- Science: a permanent microgravity laboratory for materials, biology, medicine and physical sciences, plus in-orbit tests of new technologies.
- Capability: docking, life support, crew transfer and long-duration human presence build the skills for deeper missions, including a crewed lunar landing targeted for 2040.
- Autonomy: India sets its own research agenda and partnerships rather than depending on others' stations.
- Industry: steady demand for modules, launches and services gives firms and start-ups, supported by IN-SPACe, a pipeline of work.
Challenges
- High cost, radiation and life-support risks, heavy-lift launch capacity, docking reliability, and justifying the spend against social priorities.
A station would turn Gaganyaan's first crewed flight into a lasting human presence in orbit, provided cost, safety and launch capacity are managed well.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.