India’s Giant Leap: From ISS Guest to Building the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (2028 Launch) Short Description: India is shifting from visiting space to living there! 🇮🇳🚀 Discover how the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) changes the narrative from Group Captain Shukla’s ISS visit to a permanent Indian home in orbit.
From a Guest in Orbit to a Host in Space: Inside India's Historic Shift to a Permanent Bharatiya Antariksh Station | Blog By Ravi Gopal
ISRO’s Next Giant Leap: Everything We Know About the Bharatiya Antariksh Station
India is officially taking the next massive step in space exploration. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has commenced the groundwork for the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), the country's own permanent space station in Low Earth Orbit.
Envisioned as India's answer to the International Space Station, this project signals a historic shift from simply sending astronauts into space to actually living and working there.
Here are the exclusive details on this "Made in India" vision, the timeline, and the design behind this ambitious project.
1. From a Guest in Orbit to a Host in Space
In my previous post, Precision on Earth, Glory in Space, I shared the historic footage captured by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla from the Cupola—the famous seven-windowed observation deck of the International Space Station (ISS). Seeing India from 400 kilometers above, through the eyes of an Ashoka Chakra awardee, was a moment of immense national pride.
However, that view, as magnificent as it was, was seen through a window built by international partners. Captain Shukla is there as a representative of a partner nation, a guest in a facility managed by the US, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.
The announcement of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) changes the narrative entirely. We are witnessing a shift from being capable guests to becoming permanent residents of low Earth orbit. This transition is not merely symbolic; it represents India’s technological sovereignty.
By 2035, when an Indian astronaut floats by a window to gaze down at the sunrise over the Himalayas or the glittering lights of Diwali across the subcontinent, they won't be looking through the foreign glass of the ISS Cupola. They will be looking through a viewport designed in Bengaluru, tested in Thiruvananthapuram, and built in India. The view of our beautiful motherland will remain the same, but the frame around it will finally be our own.
2. The Timeline: From Launch to Living in Space
ISRO has set specific, aggressive milestones to establish this permanent human presence in orbit, ensuring that the station grows in phases rather than launching all at once:
2028 (Phase 1): The launch of the first module, known as BAS-1. This initial unit will likely be launched using the LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3), demonstrating our capability to place heavy modular infrastructure into a precise orbit.
2035 (Phase 2): The station is expected to be fully functional and continuously inhabited by Indians. By this stage, the station will likely include docking ports for multiple crew vehicles and expanded solar arrays for power generation.
This project is viewed as the logical successor to the Gaganyaan human space flight program. While Gaganyaan will prove we can send humans to space and bring them back safely, BAS will prove we can sustain them there.
3. The Blueprint: What Will BAS Look Like?
Exclusive details regarding the design of the first module reveal a sophisticated structure that will serve as the backbone of the future station. Unlike the ISS, which is massive (over 400 tonnes), the BAS will start as a compact, efficient outpost. The BAS-1 module consists of two main sections:
The Habitable Module: Located at the top, this is the pressurized environment where astronauts will live, sleep, and conduct experiments without spacesuits. It will house life support systems to recycle air and water, crucial for long-term survival.
The Propulsion Bay: Located directly below the habitable area, this section acts as the "engine room." It will house the fuel tanks, thrusters for orbit correction (to combat atmospheric drag), and the docking mechanism for incoming spacecraft.
Technical Specifications:
Dimensions: The module will be approximately 8 meters tall with a diameter of 3.6 meters, making it roughly the size of a large bus.
Mass: It acts as a payload of approximately 8 to 10 tonnes.
Material: It will be constructed using high-strength aluminium alloy, the same lightweight yet durable material used for human-rated space missions to withstand the vacuum of space and micrometeoroid impacts.
4. A Challenge for Indian Industry: "No Small Piece of Hardware"
ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) has formally invited private Indian aerospace companies to help build this first module. However, the manufacturing requirements are incredibly strict, pushing Indian manufacturing to global standards.
ISRO has emphasized that this is a "Made in India" effort with specific constraints:
Extreme Precision: Errors of even half a millimeter are unacceptable. In the vacuum of space, a microscopic gap can lead to a catastrophic depressurization. Companies must develop specialized welding and fabrication techniques with near-perfect tolerances.
Rigorous Testing: The structures must meet the same safety and quality standards as Gaganyaan. This involves non-destructive testing (NDT), pressure testing beyond operational limits, and vacuum chamber endurance tests.
Self-Reliance: While ISRO will provide raw materials, manufacturing drawings, and oversight, there will be no financial assistance from the government to set up facilities. The responsibility to deliver flawless hardware lies entirely with the selected Indian firms, signaling ISRO's trust in the maturity of India's private sector.
5. The Scientific Goals
The Bharatiya Antariksh Station is not just about presence; it is about science. Once operational, the BAS will function as a microgravity laboratory for long-duration experiments, allowing Indian scientists to:
Conduct Advanced Microgravity Research: Without the pull of gravity, fluids and biological cells behave differently. Scientists can grow purer protein crystals for drug development and study fluid dynamics that are impossible to observe on Earth.
Master Deep Space Technologies: BAS will serve as a testbed for life support systems needed for future missions to the Moon and Mars. It will help us understand how the human body reacts to long-term radiation and isolation.
According to space scientist Gauhar Raza, this project marks a transition for India from "mastering technology" (building rockets) to utilizing space to "advance horizons of science" (creating knowledge).
6. Are the Deadlines Realistic?
Experts believe that while the deadlines are ambitious, they are achievable. Gauhar Raza notes that ISRO has an excellent track record of meeting deadlines and has overcome significant historical challenges—such as sanctions and the lack of international collaboration—to reach this point.
With the first module set for 2028, India is poised to join an elite group of space-faring nations (currently only the US, Russia, and China operate stations). As ISRO prepares for a future where Indians live and conduct science in space for months at a time, the next decade promises to be a transformative era for Indian space exploration
Conclusion: A Permanent Address in the Stars
As I documented in my book, Beyond Earth: The Indian Space Journey, our nation’s path to the stars began with humble origins—rocket cones transported on bicycles and makeshift laboratories in old churches. We have spent decades mastering the art of getting to space efficiently, often hailed as the world’s most frugal space agency. But the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) marks the end of that chapter and the beginning of a far bolder one. We are no longer just trying to reach orbit; we are building a home there.
The transition from Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s view through an American-built window to a future Indian astronaut gazing out from an Indian-made viewport is profound. It signifies that we are moving from being capable guests in the global space community to becoming permanent hosts. This station will serve as our "base camp" for deeper ambitions, transforming ISRO from a transport agency that ferries satellites into a habitat builder that sustains human civilization.
Furthermore, the strict "Made in India" mandate for the station’s modules will catalyze a revolution here on Earth. By demanding zero-error precision from our private industries, ISRO is creating a high-tech ecosystem that will serve the nation for decades. The technologies developed to keep our astronauts alive—advanced water filtration, solar power efficiency, and stress-resistant alloys—will inevitably find their way back down to improve lives in our cities and villages.
As we look toward the 2028 launch, the BAS represents a sovereign territory in the sky. It is a declaration that in the next era of human exploration, India will not just be a passenger—it will be a pilot.
Now, I would love to hear your thoughts on this historic shift.
With India set to have its own permanent residence in space by 2035, what should be the next major goal for ISRO? Should we focus on using the station as a stepping stone for a manned Moon landing to join the Artemis generation, or should we prioritize sending Indian scientists to explore the surface of Mars? Let me know your preference in the comments below!
References:
CNN-News18. (2026, January 24). BREAKING | ISRO Begins Work On Bharatiya Antariksh Station, India’s Permanent Space Station [Video]. YouTube.
https://youtu.be/tIfFaeWttJ8?si=3IxEGTgCsVrz2CJS
🚀 Relive the Origins of India's Space Odyssey
If you enjoyed this deep dive into the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, you will love the full story of how India reached this pinnacle of space technology.
I am proud to present my latest work, "Beyond Earth: The Indian Space Journey."
This narrative chronicles the remarkable trajectory of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)tracing the arc from transporting rocket components on bicycles to mastering the complexities of lunar landings. It is a testament to how vision, resilience, and indigenous technology have not only reached the stars but actively improved life for millions on Earth.
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References
CNN-News18. (2026, January 24). BREAKING | ISRO Begins Work On Bharatiya Antariksh Station, India’s Permanent Space Station [Video]. YouTube.
https://youtu.be/tIfFaeWttJ8?si=3IxEGTgCsVrz2CJSISRO Official Website – Gaganyaan Mission Overview. Indian Space Research Organisation.
https://www.isro.gov.in/gaganyaanISRO Official Website – Human Spaceflight Program. Indian Space Research Organisation.
https://www.isro.gov.in/human-spaceflight-programmeGauhar Raza (Space Scientist) – Comments on Space Research and National Goals. Scientific commentary on Indian space strategy.
NASA. (n.d.). International Space Station Overview. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html
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