Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked scientists to aim to send the first Indian to the Moon by 2040 and set up an Indian space station by 2035.
Modi gave these directions during a meeting to review the preparedness of the Gaganyaan mission and the first demonstration flight of the crew escape system test vehicle scheduled for October 21.
The prime minister also outlined the future of India’s space exploration endeavours and urged scientists to work towards interplanetary missions, including a Venus Orbiter Mission and a Mars Lander.
To realize this vision, 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, and setting up human-centric Laboratories and associated technologies.
During the meeting, the Department of Space presented a comprehensive overview of the Gaganyaan Mission, including various technologies developed so far such as human-rated launch vehicles and system qualification. It was noted that around 20 major tests, including three uncrewed missions of the Human Rated Launch Vehicle (HLVM3) are planned.
Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence in India’s capabilities and affirmed the nation’s commitment to scaling new heights in space exploration.
In summary, India’s plan to send the first Indian to the Moon by 2040 is ambitious but achievable. The country has a strong space program and has made significant progress in recent years. With the government’s support and the dedication of scientists, India can certainly achieve this goal.
