Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a bold vision for India's space exploration efforts, aiming to establish its own space station by 2035 and send an Indian astronaut to the moon by 2040. This announcement came during a high-level meeting convened to assess the progress of the Gaganyaan Mission, India's ambitious human space mission.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi, who chaired the session, presented a strategic roadmap for India's future in space exploration. The gathering, which included top space agency officials, reviewed the readiness of the Gaganyaan Mission and confirmed that the launch of the country's first human space mission is scheduled for 2025.
“Reviewed the readiness of the Gaganyaan Mission and also reviewed other aspects relating to India’s space exploration efforts. India’s strides in the space sector over the past few years have been commendable and we are building on them for more successes. This includes the setting up of ‘Bharatiya Antariksha Station’ by 2035 and sending first Indian to the Moon by 2040,” PM Modi wrote on X.
Building upon the recent successes of Indian space endeavours, including the Chandrayan-3 and Aditya L1 Missions, Prime Minister Modi directed the Department of Space to set their sights on more ambitious goals. The new objectives include establishing an 'Indian Space Station' named 'Bharatiya Antariksha Station' by 2035 and achieving the milestone of sending the first Indian to the moon by 2040.
To fulfill these ambitious goals, the Department of Space will craft a comprehensive roadmap for moon exploration, which will encompass a series of Chandrayaan missions, the development of a Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), the construction of a new launch pad, setting up human-centric laboratories, and the development of associated cutting-edge technologies.
Prime Minister Modi also called upon Indian scientists to work on interplanetary missions, which would involve sending missions to Venus and Mars. He expressed confidence in India's capabilities and affirmed the nation's unwavering commitment to scaling new heights in space exploration.
Gaganyaan Mission All Set
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has also released information regarding the upcoming Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1) of the Gaganyaan project. This critical test, aimed at demonstrating the performance of the crew escape system, is scheduled for launch on October 21, 2023, at 8:00 AM (IST) from the Sriharikota launch site in Andhra Pradesh.
In a recent post on X, formerly known as Twitter, ISRO disclosed that the mission is slated to be a "short-duration mission." They further informed that the registration process to witness this significant event will begin on Tuesday at 6:00 PM (IST).
The Gaganyaan project is a monumental endeavour by ISRO, demonstrating India's capability in human spaceflight by sending a human crew into orbit at an altitude of 400 kilometres and safely returning them to Earth.
According to the ISRO website, the crew module for TV-D1 is currently in various stages of development. The crew module chosen for this mission is an unpressurised version, housing all the essential systems for deceleration and recovery. This includes a complete set of parachutes, recovery aids actuation systems, and pyrotechnics.
ISRO has also outlined its plans for the recovery of the crew module post-touchdown in the Bay of Bengal. This operation will be executed with the assistance of a dedicated vessel and a diving team from the Indian Navy, ensuring the safe retrieval of the critical components.
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