Chandrayaan-4: ISRO Chief Somanath Shares Plans for Next Moon Mission in 2040

Chandrayaan-4 and India’s Lunar Exploration Aspirations

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somanath has revealed that the upcoming phase of the Chandrayaan project is in progress, aiming to advance India’s lunar exploration efforts. He indicated that Chandrayaan-4 marks the initial stride towards India’s aspiration of landing an astronaut on the moon by 2040.

ISRO’s Diverse Project Portfolio

Somanath further stated that ISRO is working on a wide range of projects, including rocket and satellite projects, application projects, and technology development projects. He mentioned that ISRO has major projects, with around 5-10 rocket projects, 30-40 satellite projects, hundreds of application projects, and thousands of R&D projects.

India’s Space Exploration Milestones

India has made significant strides in space exploration, with the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lander module on the moon’s South Pole on August 23, 2023, marking a historic achievement as the first country to accomplish this feat.

Earlier in January 2023, India launched its inaugural dedicated solar mission, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, positioning it into the Halo orbit around the sun.

Additionally, the Gaganyaan project stands as another pivotal endeavor for India, aiming to demonstrate human spaceflight capability by sending a crew of three members into a 400 km orbit for a 3-day mission and safely returning them to Earth by landing in Indian waters.

Future Outlook

The forthcoming Chandrayaan-4 mission, as outlined by ISRO chief Somanath, is part of India’s broader vision to expand its lunar exploration capabilities and potentially achieve the ambitious goal of landing an astronaut on the moon by 2040. This strategic roadmap reflects India’s growing ambitions and technological prowess in the realm of space exploration.