As part of India's ambitious plans in space, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has started work on setting up the country's maiden space station at the earliest.

ISRO chief S Somanath says the first modules of the space station may be launched in the next few years.

PM Narendra Modi has set an ambitious goal for ISRO, India's own space station, up and running by 2035. ISRO has already started developing technologies for the space station. The space station to be placed in a low earth orbit. The Bharatiya Antariksh Station could accommodate 2 to 4 astronauts in space. Only Russia, the US and China have sent space stations in orbit. India may become the fourth country to have an independent space station in space.

NDTV got exclusive access to an artist's impression of the space station displayed at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.

Dr Unnikrishnan Nair, director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, says work is on in full swing and the plan is to use India's heaviest rocket, Bahubali, or Launch Vehicle Mark 3 to hoist the components into an orbit of about 400 km from earth.

India hopes to do microgravity experiments in space, including astrobiology experiments, and use the platform to explore the possibility of habitat on the surface of the moon.

According to initial estimates, the space station could weigh about 20 tonnes. It would be made of solid structures, but inflatable modules could be added. The final version could well go to about 400 tonnes.

One end of the space station will be a docking port for the crew module and rocket that will ferry astronauts. India is developing a 21st century special docking port for this and it may well be compatible with the docking port of International Space Station.

Once completed, the Indian space station can have four different modules and at least four pairs of solar panels. It will also have a permanently docked safety crew module escape system for use in case of emergencies.