India’s Department of Space has ambitious plans for its space program. The first Indian astronaut is set to be sent to space next year, with a goal to establish a space station by 2035 and land an Indian on the Moon by 2045.
Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, has called the Bhartiya Antariksh Station and the lunar landing missions as foundational projects for India’s space program. The space station is aimed to accommodate astronauts for 15 to 20 days at an orbit of approximately 400km above Earth.
The crewed lunar landing mission has been pushed back from its initial target of 2040, and the Gaganyaan mission, India’s first human spaceflight mission planned for 2025, has experienced delays due to various factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic and safety concerns by ISRO.
The Gaganyaan spacecraft is designed to carry three crew members and orbit the Earth for up to seven days.
At an event preceding India’s first National Space Day, it was announced that Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed a craft named Vikram on the Moon’s southern polar region, making India the fourth country to achieve this feat.
Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5 are on the horizon, with Chandrayaan-4 planned for launch in 2028 as a lunar sample return mission with a space docking experiment, while Chandrayaan-5 will focus on establishing a long-term presence on the Moon.
Dr. Singh highlighted the growth of India’s space sector and hinted at a significant future role for the space economy in the country.
Recent investments have led to a surge in space-related startups in India, with around 300 startups showing global potential. Dr. Singh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for creating an enabling environment for the space economy to thrive in India, providing opportunities that were previously lacking.
He commended the government’s support and predicted a fivefold increase in the economy over the next decade, emphasizing the critical role of leadership and policies in fostering the growth of the space industry.
