During the 21st convocation ceremony of SRM Institute of Science and Technology in Kattan-kulathur, Narayanan received the honorary degree of Doctor of Science from Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan. In his address, the ISRO chief recalled that the Indian space agency was established in 1963, a time when the nation lagged behind developed countries by six to seven years.

He noted that in the same year, the United States donated a small rocket, which initiated the Indian space program. The date was November 21, 1963. Narayanan stated that in 1975, ISRO, using satellite data provided by the US, conducted a public communication test by installing 2,400 television sets in 2,400 villages across six Indian states.

He further stated that after this humble beginning, July 30, 2025, marked a historic day for the Indian space program with the launch of the NISAR satellite. This is the most expensive satellite of its kind to date. The L-band SAR payload was provided by the United States, and the S-band payload was provided by ISRO. The satellite was accurately placed into orbit by an Indian launcher (GSLV), and today, India stands shoulder-to-shoulder with advanced nations.

Narayanan mentioned that a team from NASA lauded the ISRO counterparts for the precise launch of the GSLV-F16/NISAR mission. He pointed out the remarkable progress of a nation that started its space program with a small rocket from the US and is now poised to launch a 6,500-kilogram US-built communications satellite using its own launch vehicle from Indian soil in the coming months.

Narayanan also added that 50 years ago, the country lacked satellite technology, but now, its space agency, ISRO, has launched a total of 433 satellites from 34 countries using its launchers. He stated that during Operation Sindoor, ISRO also ensured the safety of all Indian citizens through its satellites, contributing whatever it could.

Referring to significant missions, Narayanan noted that through the Chandrayaan-1 mission, ISRO was able to identify water molecules on the lunar surface, and with Chandrayaan-3, India achieved a soft landing on the moon’s south pole. He mentioned that India surpassed the Russian record of launching 34 satellites into orbit using a single launch vehicle by successfully deploying 104 satellites into the desired orbit using a single rocket.

SpaceX announced on X that the weather conditions are 90% favorable for the launch from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The launch can be viewed live on SpaceX’s X and NASA’s YouTube channel.

Earlier, Axiom Space confirmed the new launch date of June 25. The mission, initially slated for June 11, was postponed to June 19 due to inspection issues and further delayed.

The Ax-4 crew includes members from India, Poland, and Hungary. This mission represents the first time each nation has a presence on the space station and the second government-sponsored human spaceflight mission in over 40 years. The research component includes approximately 60 scientific studies and activities involving 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and European nations. It is set to be one of the most science-focused activities on an Axiom Space mission aboard the ISS.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force Test Pilot and Astronaut from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, is a key member of the mission. He was inspired by the 1999 Kargil War and pursued a career in the armed forces, graduating from the National Defence Academy in 2005 with a degree in Computer Science.