New Delhi: Indian Government Greenlights Chandrayaan-4, Venus Orbiter, and Space Station in Bold New Space Era

NEW DELHI: The Indian government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has sanctioned the Chandrayaan-4 project officially, quite a bolster to India's space projects. Notably, the Chandrayaan-4 will have a budgetary allocation of Rs 2,104.06 crore, which is about $253 million. The main intention behind the project is to land on the Moon, collect samples, and return safely on the Earth-sounds big, right?.

Chandrayaan-4 will be based on the extraordinary success of the Chandrayaan-3, which would indeed be a history-making soft landing mission on the Moon's surface. This aspect of Chandrayaan-4 would focus on developing crucial technologies such as docking and undocking in lunar orbit, safe return to Earth, and sample collection and analysis on the Moon. These would pave the way for long-term space exploration missions of India, some of which include crewed landing on the moon by 2040 and setting up of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) by 2035.

Chandrayaan-4 would be an ISRO brainchild and ISRO is expected to develop and launch it within the next 36 months following the nod. One of the significant features of the project is the development of indigenous technology with which India would further strengthen its position in the exploration of space. Employment generation and triggering developments in areas such as technology and industry are also expected to take place with this mission.

Meanwhile, India is ready to stretch its planetary probe capabilities by clearing the Venus Orbiter Mission. Carrying a price tag of Rs 1,236 crore ($149 million), the VOM is expected to take off in March 2028 to study the atmosphere, surface, and subsurface of Venus with a view to knowing how the planet was transformed from that which is considered Earth-like to an extreme climate planet. By studying Venus, scientists will gain insight into the evolutionary pathways of both these planets.

This Cabinet has cleared the development of India's first Bharatiya Antariksh Station, BAS-1, marking a step forward in the ambitious plans for a space station from the country. The project will significantly broaden the extent of the Gaganyaan program, which now also encompasses eight missions that should be completed by December 2028. Heavy funding at Rs 20,193 crore, alongside an additional Rs 11,170 crore for its new purposes puts India firmly on the path to becoming one of the leaders in space exploration in the coming decades.

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