According to Indian media on August 15, Indian Prime Minister Modi announced in his Independence Day speech at the Red Fort that India is striving to build its own space station.

In his speech, he mentioned that with the advancement of the "Gaganyaan" manned space program, India will take a new step, not only sending its own astronauts into space but also having its own space station.

Currently, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has proposed preliminary plans to launch the first 20-ton basic module before 2028 and complete the overall construction around 2035.

For this, ISRO has already started key technology verification, such as the fuel cell test conducted in 2024, which proved the ability to generate electricity and water in orbit.

At the same time, India is also developing docking experiments to lay the foundation for future astronaut visits to the space station.

However, from the actual progress, India has not yet completed its first manned space flight, and the space station is still in the stage of planning and small-scale verification. There is still a long way to go to achieve real long-term stay.

Modi

It can be compared with China's Tiangong space station; the gap is very obvious.

China achieved the docking of a target vehicle with a manned spacecraft through Tiangong-1 in 2011, and in 2016, it verified long-term stay and cargo resupply through Tiangong-2. Between 2021 and 2022, with the successive entry into orbit of the Tianhe core module, Wentian experimental module, and Mengtian experimental module, it has formed a T-shaped configuration space station, with a total weight exceeding 66 tons. It usually has three people staying and can temporarily accommodate six people. It has a complete closed-loop life support system and powerful scientific research and experimental capabilities.

While India's planned space station weighs about 20 tons, it is a mini version, with extremely limited staying capacity and scientific research functions, let alone forming an international research platform.

It can be said that India's so-called space station is more of a symbolic project, allowing it to claim that it has entered the space station club in international contexts.

Especially after the International Space Station retires, leaving only China's space station, India can then attempt to match the Tiangong space station.

China's Space Station

So, why doesn't India just go all out and build a large space station like China's Tiangong?

The answer is actually simple.

India's accumulation in aerospace technology is far insufficient.

China spent nearly two decades to transition from Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2 to a real space station, verifying different core technologies at each step. However, India has not yet completed its first manned flight.

Moreover, India's launch vehicle capability is limited. The currently operational LVM3 can only send 8-ton cargo into low Earth orbit. This means India does not have the capability to launch large modules at once, let alone assemble a space station of tens of tons in orbit.

Additionally, funding constraints are very obvious. India's budget is only several billion dollars.

What India has chosen now is to first build a small space station, accumulate experience, and then introduce resources through international cooperation.

To put it bluntly, it's about finding external assistance to create a face-saving project.

Indian Space Station Model

Therefore, the reason why India is loudly announcing the construction of a space station is not due to an urgent need for scientific research, but rather psychological motivation.

Modi needs to show both domestically and internationally that India is rising, and space is the easiest field to create national pride.

If China has the Tiangong, and India does not have its own space station, it would appear to be absent from the club of space superpowers.

Thus, the mindset of "if China can do it, I should be able to do it" drives India's decision.

In fact, the scientific value of India's space station plan is limited, and it is more of a political symbol, proving that India is no worse than others. Even a small 20-ton module is labeled with the name of India's space station.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7539026876422160934/

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