New Delhi, October 17 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued directives on Tuesday for India’s space program, urging scientists to strive for sending the first Indian to the Moon by 2040 and establishing an Indian space station by 2035, according to an official statement.
The directives came during a meeting to assess the readiness of the Gaganyaan mission and the inaugural demonstration flight of the crew escape system test vehicle, scheduled for October 21.
“The meeting reviewed the mission’s preparedness, confirming its launch in 2025,” the statement disclosed.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister laid out the future of India’s space exploration endeavors, encouraging scientists to pursue interplanetary missions, including a Venus Orbiter Mission and a Mars Lander.
Building upon the success of prior Indian space missions, such as Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L1, the Prime Minister emphasized the need for India to set new and ambitious goals. This includes establishing an ‘Bharatiya Antariksha Station’ (Indian space station) by 2035 and sending the first Indian to the Moon by 2040.
To realize this vision, the Department of Space will formulate a roadmap for Moon exploration. This roadmap will encompass a series of Chandrayaan missions, the development of a Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), the construction of a new launch pad, and the establishment of human-centric laboratories and related technologies.
The Department of Space presented an extensive overview of the Gaganyaan Mission, including the development of various technologies, such as human-rated launch vehicles and system qualification. Approximately 20 major tests, including three uncrewed missions of the Human Rated Launch Vehicle (HLVM3), have been planned.
Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence in India’s capabilities and reiterated the nation’s commitment to reaching new heights in space exploration.
