The Documentary Podcast - Hope and fear: India's space revolution

Download Hope and fear: India's space revolution

India is revolutionising its approach to space exploration. Science journalist Alok Jha follows preparations for the country’s first human spaceflight mission. For decades, India focused its space programme on limited, inexpensive projects directly benefiting its citizens, such as weather satellites and communications networks. Now, the most ambitious mission yet is underway: India will send humans into space. Alok Jha speaks to people at the heart of this radical shift to understand how it’s happening and what’s driving it. Dr Madhavan Nair, former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) takes us inside the room where it all began, a high-stakes one-to-one meeting with the prime minister of the time. We relive tense moments of ISRO’s famous Mars mission with its Science Director, Dr Seetha Somasundaram. Indian-American astronaut Anil Menon counts down to his own launch. We visit India’s leading rocket company to witness a start-up boom.

Published on Wednesday, 18th March 2026.

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