Indian Space Research Organisation-ISRO chief S Somnath said Chandrayaan 4, which is under development, will carry forward the nation’s moon exploration to next level as this programme is the first step towards achieving the goal of Bharat landing an astronaut on the moon in 2040.
Addressing a press conference, S Somnath highlighted, “Chandrayaan 4 is a concept that we are now developing as a continuation of the Chandrayaan series… Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that an Indian will land on the moon in 2040. So, if that has to happen, we have to have continuous moon exploration of various kinds.”
S Somnath further explained the significance of the programme, “Chandrayaan 4 is the first step towards achieving the goal of landing a craft on the moon, collecting samples, and bringing them back to Earth. It showcases the entire journey from Earth to the moon and back, completing the full cycle of lunar exploration.”
Elaborating more, Somnath outlined the number of ISRO’s ongoing projects, stating, “We have numerous major projects encompassing rockets, satellites, applications, and technology development. We are currently engaged in around 5-10 rocket projects, 30-40 satellite projects, hundreds of application projects, and thousands of research and development initiatives.”
Bharat took a giant leap as the Chandrayaan 3 lander module successfully landed on the moon’s South Pole on August 23, making it the first country to have achieved the historic feat.
In January, Bharat placed its first dedicated solar mission, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, in the Halo orbit.
The Gaganyaan project is another major Indian mission that envisages a demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three members into an orbit of 400 km for a 3-day mission and bringing them safely back to earth by landing in Indian waters.
