India's Bold Steps in Space Exploration: Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan 4

India aims to launch its first human spaceflight, Gaganyaan, by year-end, announced ISRO Chairman S Somanath. The government has also approved the Chandrayaan 4 mission and plans for an Indian Space Station by 2035, setting the stage for an Indian moon landing by 2040.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S Somanath announced that efforts are underway to launch India's first human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan, by the end of this year. 'Gaganyaan is ready for launch; we are aiming for a year-end launch,' Somanath said during his visit to the Space Expo in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on Friday.

On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet approved constructing the first unit of the Bharatiya Antriksh Station, expanding the Gaganyaan mission's scope. Approved in December 2018, the Gaganyaan program aims to send humans to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and lay the technology groundwork for India's long-term human space exploration endeavors.

Regarding Chandrayaan 4, Somanath mentioned that ISRO has completed the engineering phase of the mission. 'The Cabinet recently announced its approval for Chandrayaan 4, so updates will follow in the coming months. The engineering is complete, but the mission must go through several approval stages. Unlike Chandrayaan 3, which focused solely on landing, Chandrayaan 4 aims to return to Earth, making it much more complex,' Somanath informed ANI.

On September 18, the Cabinet approved the Chandrayaan-4 mission to develop and demonstrate technologies required for a moon landing and return to Earth, including lunar sample collection and analysis. The mission aims to build foundational technologies and capabilities for an Indian landing on the moon by 2040 and a safe return to Earth. Essential technologies for docking/undocking, landings, and lunar sample analysis will be demonstrated.

During the Amrit Kaal, the central government has outlined an ambitious vision for the Indian space program, including establishing an Indian Space Station (Bharatiya Antariksh Station) by 2035 and landing Indians on the moon by 2040.

(With inputs from agencies.)