New Delhi: Building on the success of the Indian space initiatives, including the recent Chandrayan-3 and Aditya L1 Missions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today directed that India should now aim for new and ambitious goals, including setting up ‘Bharatiya Antariksha Station’ (Indian Space Station) by 2035 and sending first Indian to the Moon by 2040.
To realize this vision, the Department of Space stated it will develop a roadmap for Moon exploration. This will encompass a series of Chandrayaan missions, the development of a Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), the construction of a new launch pad, and the setting up of human-centric laboratories and associated technologies.
Modi also called upon Indian scientists to work towards interplanetary missions that would include a Venus Orbiter Mission and a Mars Lander.
The Prime Minister today chaired a high-level meeting to assess the progress of India’s Gaganyaan Mission where 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 3 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, 2023. The meeting evaluated the mission’s readiness, affirming its launch in 2025.
Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence in India’s capabilities and affirmed the nation’s commitment to scaling new heights in space exploration.
Meanwhile, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan today launched a web portal ‘Apna Chandrayaan’ having activity-based support material such as quizzes and puzzles for school students on Mission Chandrayaan-3 developed by NCERT under the aegis of the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, in New Delhi today. He also released 10 special modules on Chandrayaan-3, offering a comprehensive overview of its various facets – including scientific, technological, and social aspects, as well as the emotional journey and team spirit of the scientists involved.
– global bihari bureau
