PM Modi directs officials to send first Indian astronaut to the Moon by 2040

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 17 outlined ambitious goals for India's space exploration programme, instructing 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 devise a Moon exploration roadmap involving a series of Chandrayaan missions, the construction of a new launch pad, the development of a Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), and the creation of human-centric laboratories.

The meeting also reviewed the progress of the Gaganyaan Mission, India's maiden indigenous mission to send astronauts to space. Approximately 20 major 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 slated for October 21, 2023, and the mission's launch is expected in 2025. If the Gaganyaan Mission is successful, India will join the US, Russia, and China as the fourth country to send a human to 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.

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