Nine staff unions have formally asked the government: will ISRO stop building rockets? The concern isn’t about private players; they’re okay with that. What’s worrying them is whether their own agency will be reduced to just R&D, while private firms take over manufacturing, testing, and even launches. One line from IN-SPACe chief Pawan Goenka; “ISRO won’t make launch vehicles anymore”; triggered this whole debate. Employees aren’t against progress. They’re scared of becoming irrelevant. If ISRO outsources core work, who gets promoted? Who gets hired? Right now, ISRO has over 15,500 staff; but 14% of posts are vacant. If outsourcing grows, will recruitment shrink further? And what about the tech? ISRO has already shared 120+ technologies with industry. But who controls the launch pads? Who owns the know-how? These aren’t legal questions; they’re human ones. Careers, skills, pride. The government hasn’t answered yet. But if it does, the answer might reshape India’s space story; not just for satellites, but for the people who built them.