The government on Wednesday (15 December) informed that India launched 27 satellite and 25 launch vehicle missions in the last five years.

"During the last five years (April 2016 – March 2021), a total number of 27 satellite missions and 25 launch vehicle missions were successfully accomplished," Union Minister of State for Space Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

"In addition, 286 commercial satellites from domestic as well as foreign customers and 8 student satellites from Indian universities were also launched during the aforementioned period," the minister informed.

Singh said that some of the major space missions include first operational flight of India's heavy lift launch vehicle GSLV Mk-III which placed India’s second lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2 into orbit; Advanced Cartography satellite, Cartosat-3; completion of NavIC constellation; launch of South Asia Satellite; launch of heaviest and most-advanced high throughput communication satellite, GSAT-11 and launch of record 104 satellites in a single PSLV flight.

Apart from these, three technology demonstrators namely Scramjet engine, Re-Usable Launch Vehicle and test for Crew Escape System were also successfully demonstrated during this period, the minister added.

He also said that the Department of Space has charted out short-term and long-term plans in the areas of Space Transportation Systems, Satellite Communication & Navigation, Earth Observation, Space Sciences and Planetary Exploration, Capacity Building and Space-based applications.