Target space station by 2035, Indian on moon by 2040: PM
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday directed the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) to aim for setting up “Bharatiya Antriksha Station", or an Indian space station, by 2035, and seek to land the first Indian on the moon by 2040. The statements were a part of a meeting chaired by Modi to assess the progress made by Isro on India’s manned space mission, Gaganyaan.
During the meeting, the department of space affirmed that the first unmanned demonstration launch under Gaganyaan, which will test the mission’s ‘Crew Escape System Test Vehicle’, will take place on Saturday, 21 October. India’s first manned space mission under Gaganyaan is on track to launch in 2025.
In a statement, a department of space spokesperson said, “The department of space will develop a roadmap for moon exploration. This will encompass a series of Chandrayaan missions, the development of a next generation launch vehicle (NGLV), construction of a new launch pad, setting up human-centric laboratories, and associated technologies.
The prime minister also called upon Indian scientists to work towards interplanetary missions that would include a Venus Orbiter Mission and a Mars Lander." The announcements come as India gradually builds up to its manned space missions. On 5 October, Jitendra Singh, Union minister of state for science and space, said that the first unmanned trial launch of the mission is likely to be ready for launch by November.
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