ISRO Chief Somanath discusses plans for the upcoming Moon mission in 2040 during Chandrayaan-4
The head of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), S Somnath, mentioned on Wednesday that the next phase of the Chandrayaan project is currently underway, with the goal of advancing India's lunar exploration endeavors.
He highlighted that Chandrayaan-4 represents the first step towards India's ambition of sending a human to the moon by 2040.
During a media briefing, Somnath stated, "Chandrayaan-4 is a concept that we are presently working on as a follow-up to the Chandrayaan series...our respected Prime Minister has declared that an Indian will set foot on the moon in 2040. Therefore, for this to become a reality, we must continue exploring the moon in various capacities."
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January 1, 2023
Chandrayaan-4 marks the initial milestone towards successfully landing a spacecraft on the moon, collecting samples, and safely returning them to Earth. This mission showcases the complete journey of venturing to the moon and completing a round trip back to our planet," he further emphasized.
Somnath further said that ISRO is working on plenty of other projects ranging from rocket and satellite projects to technology development projects. “There are plenty. We have major projects, rocket projects, we have satellite projects, application projects and technology development projects. Rocket projects are around 5-10, satellite projects are about 30-40, and application projects are in 100s and R&D projects are in 1000s," he added.
India made significant strides in space exploration with the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lander module on the moon's South Pole on August 23, marking a historic achievement as the first country to accomplish this feat.
In January, India successfully initiated its first specialized solar mission with the launch of the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, which was placed into the Halo orbit around the sun.
Moreover, the Gaganyaan project represents another significant milestone for India, as it seeks to showcase its human spaceflight capabilities by sending a three-member crew into a 400 km orbit for a 3-day mission, ensuring their safe return to Earth by landing in Indian waters.