National Desk, 17th October: Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined ambitious objectives for India’s space exploration program, directing officials to establish an Indian Space Station by 2035. During a high-level meeting, the PM also encouraged officials to send the first Indian astronaut to the Moon by 2040.
To achieve these goals, the Department of Space will create a roadmap for Moon exploration that involves a series of Chandrayaan missions, the construction of a new launch pad, the development of a Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), and the establishment of human-centric laboratories.
The meeting also assessed the progress of the Gaganyaan Mission, India’s first indigenous mission to send astronauts into space. Around 20 significant tests are planned, including three uncrewed missions of the Human Rated Launch Vehicle (HLVM3).
The first demonstration flight of the Crew Escape System Test Vehicle is scheduled for October 21, 2023, with the mission’s launch expected in 2025. If the Gaganyaan Mission succeeds, India will become the fourth country, after the US, Russia, and China, to send a human into space.
The spacecraft, a fully autonomous 5.3-ton module, is designed to transport a three-member crew to orbit and safely return to Earth after a mission duration of up to seven days. These developments signify India’s ambitious and rapidly advancing space exploration capabilities.