ISRO to Build 40-Storey-Tall Rocket Capable of Launching 75-Tonne Payloads into Orbit
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In a landmark announcement on August 19, 2025, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan revealed that the space agency is developing a colossal rocket, standing as tall as a 40-storey building, with the extraordinary capability of placing a 75,000 kg (75-tonne) payload into low Earth orbit (LEO).
Reflecting on ISRO’s humble beginnings, Narayanan compared this next-generation rocket to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s first launcher, which had a 17-tonne lift-off mass and could carry only 35 kg into orbit.
This development positions India among a handful of countries capable of building “super-heavy” launch vehicles, on par with SpaceX’s Starship (~120 m tall) and NASA’s SLS, and poised to transform India’s space ambitions.
The announcement was made during his speech at the Osmania University convocation, where he also outlined several upcoming missions: launching the NAVIC satellite constellation, deploying the N1 rocket, operationalising the Technology Demonstration Satellite (TDS), and sending the GSAT-7R naval communication satellite into orbit.
Narayanan emphasized how rapidly India’s space program has evolved—today, ISRO maintains 55 satellites in orbit, and this number is expected to triple within the next three to four years.
If realised, this “40-storey” rocket would be a game-changer—enabling India’s future heavy payload missions, human spaceflight, construction of space-station modules, and deep-space exploration, firmly placing India in the elite league of spacefaring nations.
