New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to assess progress of Bharat’s Gaganyaan Mission and to outline the future of Bharat’s space exploration endeavours.
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. First demonstration flight of the Crew Escape System Test Vehicle is scheduled on 21 October. The meeting evaluated the mission’s readiness, affirming its launch in 2025.
Building on the success of space initiatives, including the recent Chandrayan-3 and Aditya L1 Missions, Prime Minister directed that Bharat should now aim for new and ambitious goals, including setting up ‘Bharatiya Antariksha Station’ (Space Station) by 2035 and sending first Bharatiya to the Moon by 2040.
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, setting up human-centric Laboratories and associated technologies.
Prime Minister also called upon scientists to work towards interplanetary missions that would include a Venus Orbiter Mission and a Mars Lander.
Prime Minister expressed confidence in Bharat’s capabilities and affirmed the nation’s commitment to scaling new heights in space exploration.
