Work on the indigenous space station Bharatiya Antariksh Station’s first module is progressing well, and is expected to launch by 2028, the government informed the Parliament on Wednesday.
In a written reply, Union Minister of State for the Department of Space Jitendra Singh noted that the development and launch of the first module of the space station, that is, the Base module (BAS-01), is targeted by 2028, and the fully operational BAS with five modules is expected by 2035.
Cabinet Approval and Technical Progress
“In September 2024, the Union Cabinet approved the development and launch of the first module of Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS-01) by 2028,” Singh said. “Overall system engineering of BAS-01 module and technology development activities of various subsystems are progressing well,” he added.
Funding Integrated Into Expanded Gaganyaan Programme
The Minister noted that the budgetary allocation towards the development and launch of BAS-1 is included in the revised scope of the Gaganyaan Programme, which has been enhanced with an additional funding in the already approved Gaganyaan Programme to Rs 20,193 crore.
International Standards to Ensure Global Interoperability
“ISRO is incorporating necessary international standards in the design of BAS-01 subsystems, which ensures interoperability of BAS-01 with systems provided by other international agencies,” Singh said, adding that “support for utilising niche test facilities is also being explored”. This is being achieved through currently operational cooperation instruments with other space agencies.
“Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) is the next logical step in the sustained Indian Human Space Programme,” said Singh.
Next Step in India’s Human Spaceflight Ambitions
He noted that the development of the indigenous space station “will open up further avenues in space exploration, which will lead to utilisation of the unique microgravity environments in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for advanced scientific research and technology development activities”.
It will also “support further Indian human exploration missions -- Indian landing on Moon as envisioned in India’s Space Vision 2047,” he added.
