India space program: Rocket launches, missions and news

So far, only the U.S., the Soviet Union/Russia and China have launched humans to Earth orbit. But India aims to join that exclusive club in the next year or two.

A Brazilian Earth observation satellite soared to space aboard an Indian rocket late Saturday (Feb. 27) along with 18 satellites from the United States and India.

India successfully launched a communications satellite into orbit Thursday (Dec. 17) to provide service across the country's mainland and some island regions.

India plans to launch a new orbiter to Venus a year later than planned in 2024, according to media reports, although the country's space agency hasn't published an update to its website yet.

After nearly 11 months without a rocket launch, ISRO is back in action. The space agency successfully launched 10 satellites to orbit Saturday (Nov. 7), including a new Earth observation satellite.

Four Indian astronauts continue to train at Russia's Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center near Moscow as prospective space travelers for India's crewed Gaganyaan project.

Air pollution has plummeted over northern India during the country-wide lockdown, implemented to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

As the coronavirus-borne disease spreads around the world, India's space agency has responded by pausing launches and pivoting resources to develop ventilators and hand sanitizer.

As India prepares to launch its first astronauts into space, the program will proceed under tighter funding than hoped, at least for the time being.

A powerful imaging satellite from India that was set to launch Thursday (March 5) is delayed indefinitely due to an undisclosed technical problem, according to multiple reports.