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The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given the green light for the Chandrayaan-4 mission, a groundbreaking lunar exploration project aimed at demonstrating technologies for landing on the Moon, collecting samples, and safely returning them to Earth.
The Cabinet also approved the Venus Orbiter Mission and the establishment of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS).
This ambitious Moon mission, with a budget of Rs. 2,104.06 crore (approximately $253 million), is set to be a crucial stepping stone towards India’s long-term space exploration goals.
Chandrayaan-4 will build upon the success of Chandrayaan-3, which achieved a historic soft landing on the lunar surface.
The new mission will focus on developing and demonstrating key technologies required for future lunar missions, including docking and undocking in lunar orbit, safe Earth return, and lunar sample collection and analysis.
A model of Chandrayaan-4 displayed at Bharat Mandapam. (Photo: Isro)
The mission aligns with India’s expanded vision for its space program, which includes ambitious targets such as establishing an Indian Space Station (Bharatiya Antariksh Station) by 2035 and achieving a crewed lunar landing by 2040.
Chandrayaan-4 is expected to play a vital role in realising these objectives by validating critical technologies and capabilities.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will spearhead the development of the spacecraft and its launch, with the mission expected to be completed within 36 months of approval.
The project will involve significant participation from Indian industry and academia, potentially creating high employment opportunities and driving technological advancements across various sectors of the economy.
A key aspect of Chandrayaan-4 is its focus on indigenous technology development, which aims to make India self-sufficient in critical areas required for manned missions and lunar exploration.
The mission will also establish facilities for curation and analysis of returned lunar samples, which will serve as valuable national assets for scientific research.
The Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) has been allocated a budget of Rs. 1,236 crore (approximately $149 million). It is scheduled for launch in March 2028.
VOM’s primary objective is to enhance our understanding of Venus’s surface, subsurface, and atmospheric processes, as well as the Sun’s influence on the Venusian atmosphere.
Scientists believe that Venus, once potentially habitable and similar to Earth, underwent dramatic changes. Studying these transformations could provide invaluable insights into the evolution of both Venus and Earth.
The Cabinet has also approved the development of the first module of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS-1) by expanding the scope of the Gaganyaan programme.
The revised Gaganyaan programme now encompasses eight missions to be completed by December 2028, including the launch of the BAS-1 unit. The total funding for the Gaganyaan programme has been increased to Rs 20,193 crore, with an additional allocation of Rs 11,170 crore to accommodate the expanded scope.
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