Lucknow: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman V. Narayanan on Monday highlighted the crucial role played by the agency’s satellites in ensuring citizen safety during Operation Sindoor, conducted by the Armed Forces in May 2025.
Speaking at a felicitation ceremony for IAF Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, Narayanan noted that all 58 operational satellites currently in orbit functioned seamlessly to support the security operation. “During Operation Sindoor, all our satellites worked fantastically well. Through them, we ensured the safety and security of every citizen of Bharat,” he said.
Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives, was a coordinated tri-services mission designed to dismantle terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan. According to an official statement from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, ISRO’s support was central to the operation’s precision and effectiveness.
Narayanan revealed that at least 10 satellites were continuously deployed round-the-clock for strategic monitoring purposes, including surveillance of India’s 7,000 km-long coastline and the northern frontiers. He stressed that without satellite and drone technology, securing the nation would be nearly impossible.
Looking ahead, the ISRO chief reaffirmed India’s ambitious space goals, stating that the country will establish its own space station by 2035 and land an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040.