We'll Put an Indian on Moon by '40: PM

New Delhi: Buoyed by the success of the Indian space initiatives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked scientists to aim for new and ambitious goals, including setting up a space station by 2035 and sending the first Indian to the moon by 2040.

The Prime Minister’s direction came during a high-level meeting he chaired to assess the progress of India’s Gaganyaan mission and outline the future of India’s space exploration endeavours.

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that 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. The first demonstration flight of the crew escape system test vehicle is scheduled for October 21. The meeting evaluated the mission’s readiness, affirming its launch in 2025,” the PMO said.

The Prime Minister also called upon the Indian scientists to work towards interplanetary missions that will include a Venus orbiter mission and a Mars lander.

“Building on the success of the Indian space initiatives, including the recent Chandrayan-3 and Aditya L1 missions, the Prime Minister directed that India should now aim for new and ambitious goals, including setting up 'Bharatiya Antariksha Station’ (Indian Space Station) by 2035 and sending the first Indian to the moon by 2040,” the PMO said.

To realise 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, the construction of a new launch pad, the setting up of human-centric laboratories and associated technologies.

Modi expressed confidence in India’s capabilities and affirmed the nation's commitment to scaling new heights in space exploration.