Updated, Oct.17, 2023. 8.57 PM.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the scientific community to aim for new and ambitious goals including setting up Bharatiya Antariksha Station (Indian Space Station) by 2035 and sending the first Indian to the Moon by 2040. This move will build on the success of the Indian space initiatives including the recent Chandrayan-3 and Aditya L1 Missions.
To realize this vision, the Department of Space will develop a roadmap for Moon exploration. This will encompass a series of Chandrayaan missions, the development of a Next Generation Launch Vehicle, the construction of a new launch pad, and setting up human-centric Laboratories and associated technologies. Mr. Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday to assess the progress of India’s Gaganyaan Mission and to outline the future of India’s space exploration endeavours.
Prime Minister called upon the Indian scientists to work towards interplanetary missions that would include a Venus Orbiter Mission and a Mars Lander. During the meeting, he expressed confidence in India’s capabilities and affirmed the nation’s commitment to scaling new heights in space exploration.
The Department of Space presented a comprehensive overview of the Gaganyaan Mission, including various technologies developed so far such as human-rated launch vehicles and system qualification. In the meeting, it was noted that around 20 major tests, including three uncrewed missions of the Human Rated Launch Vehicle are planned. The first demonstration flight of the Crew Escape System Test Vehicle is scheduled on 21st of this month. The meeting evaluated the mission’s readiness, affirming its launch in 2025.