During his address to the nation from the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day, PM Narendra Modi announced India’s plan to build its own space station. This announcement follows the mention of Operation Sindoor in his speech. The Prime Minister also shared that Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has returned from the ISS (International Space Station), marking a significant step in India’s space endeavors. PM Modi emphasized India’s progress in the space sector, asserting that the nation is now advancing independently in space exploration.
India is actively working towards establishing its space station and the Gaganyaan mission. PM Modi highlighted that over 300 startups are currently engaged in the space sector. The Prime Minister’s address clearly indicated that India will soon become ‘self-reliant’ in space.
**What is a Space Station?**
A space station is a habitable structure and laboratory in orbit, designed for astronauts to live, conduct research, and perform scientific experiments.
**Countries with their own Space Stations**
India is poised to join the list of countries with their own space stations. Currently, the following countries possess their own space stations:
* **China:** China operates the Tiangong space station, designed by China.
* **Russia:** Russia is developing the Russian Orbital Service Station, a new space station.
* **International Space Station:** This is a collaborative project involving Russia (Roscosmos), the United States (NASA), Japan (JAXA), Europe (ESA), and Canada (CSA), hence it is not owned by a single country.