New Delhi: India has taken a giant leap in space ambitions with the unveiling of the first model of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) at the National Space Day celebrations in Bharat Mandapam.
ISRO announced that the first module of the BAS will be launched by 2028, with a fully operational five-module orbital space station targeted for 2035. Once complete, India will join the elite group of nations—currently limited to the US-led International Space Station and China’s Tiangong station—that operate permanent laboratories in orbit.
The debut module, BAS-01, weighing 10 tonnes, will orbit Earth at 450 km altitude. It will feature advanced systems such as the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS), Bharat Docking System, automated hatch mechanisms, and research platforms for microgravity experiments, space medicine, and technology demonstration.
The station will also include radiation and debris protection, space suits, airlocks for spacewalks, refueling systems, and plug-and-play avionics. It is expected to serve not only as a hub for scientific research and interplanetary technology testing, but also for space tourism and international collaboration.
According to ISRO, the Bharatiya Antariksh Station will help India study the effects of microgravity on human health, advance space science, and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
The impressive 3.8m x 8m BAS-01 model showcased at Bharat Mandapam was the star attraction of the event, drawing crowds and highlighting India’s ambition to build its own space station within a decade.