ISRO Begins Work on India's Own Space Station, First Module by 2028

• ISRO has initiated groundwork for the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), India's permanent space station in low Earth orbit, aiming to rival the ISS.
• The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) has invited Indian companies to build the first module, BAS-01, with a launch target of 2028.
• The BAS-01 module, measuring 3.8m in diameter and 8m tall, will be constructed from high-strength aluminium alloy (AA-2219) and must meet stringent Gaganyaan safety standards.
• Indian firms are tasked with developing two complete sets of the module, requiring extreme precision, specialized welding, and rigorous testing.
• This project signifies India's shift towards long-duration human presence in space, with the full station operational by 2035, enabling advanced research and deep-space mission preparation.

Why It Matters: ISRO has started building India's own space station, with the first module set for a 2028 launch.