In a historic feat, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Wednesday announced its 100th launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The GSLV-F15 with the NVS-02 satellite lifted off from the spaceport’s second launch pad at 6.23 a.m.

“The first launch of 2025 has been successfully accomplished. The satellite has been placed into the intended orbit,” newly-appointed ISRO chairman V Narayanan said.

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The GSLV-F15 is the 17th flight of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and 11th flight with Indigenous Cryo stage. It is the 8th operational flight of GSLV with an indigenous Cryogenic stage.

NVS-02 satellite was designed, developed and integrated at the U R Satellite Centre (URSC) with the support of other satellite-based work centres.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congartulated the space agency.

In a post on X, he said, “Congratulations to @isro on the historic 100th launch! This incredible milestone illustrates the vision, dedication and commitment of our scientists and engineers. With the private sector joining hands, India’s space journey will continue to attain new heights.”

The first launch, on August 10, 1979, was the experimental flight of Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3 E10) carrying the Rohini Technology Payload, which was only partially successful according to the space agency.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh congratulated ISRO for achieving the milestone of the 100th launch.

“It’s a privilege to be associated with the Department of Space at the historic moment of this record feat. Team ISRO once again made India proud. The launch of GSLV-F15/NVS-02 Mission is not simply another landmark milestone but this launch, being the 100th one, marks a quantum leap in India’s Space journey,” he said.

The minister also underlined the rapid rise of private sector participation in space.

“In 2021, we had barely a single-digit number of space startups. Today, we are nearing 300, many of which are world-class enterprises and entrepreneurial success stories. India is positioning itself as a frontline player in the global private space sector,” he noted.

He also highlighted India’s growing dominance in commercial space launches.

“Today, 90% of foreign satellite launches are being carried out through ISRO, reflecting the global confidence in our capabilities,” he said.

The reforms initiated in the past decade, including the unlocking of the space sector for private players, have led to greater innovation, investment, and international collaborations.

Meanwhile, Narayanan expressed gratitude and said that the 100th launch is a significant milestone of India’s space programme.

“I am extremely happy to announce from the spaceport of ISRO that the first launch of this year has been successfully accomplished. The GSLV-F15 vehicle launch vehicle precisely injecting the navigation satellite NVS-02 into orbit. This mission is the 100th launch from our launch pads which is a significant milestone for India.

“Our Space programme was conceived and started by a visionary leader Vikram Sarabhai and taken forward by a generation of leaders. Till today, we have developed six generations of launch vehicles. The first launch vehicle was developed under the guidance of Satish Dhawan with APJ Abdul Kalam as the project director in 1979. From that till today, including today’s launch, we have accomplished 100 launches,” he added.

The space agency has its roots in the Indian National Committee for Space Research set up under the Department of Atomic Energy in 1962. The Indian Space Research Organisation that we know today was set up in 1969 — the same year that the United States sent men to the moon. A separate department of space was created only in 1972.

The space agency has since developed several rockets, becoming a reliable launch partner even for satellites from other countries. It has also carried out scientific missions such as the three Chandrayaan missions, which provide useful data not only to researchers from within the country but across the world.