India’s Space Programme: Boost with Approval for Key Missions

India’s Space Programme: Boost with Approval for Key Missions

Sub: Sci

Sec: Space sector

Why in News?

The Union Government recently approved four major space projects, including the Chandrayaan-4 mission and India’s first mission to Venus, signalling a significant advancement in India’s space capabilities. These decisions are part of ISRO’s Vision 2047, which aims to enhance India’s role in space exploration.

Key Approvals for Space Missions

Chandrayaan-4 Mission

Mission: Aimed at bringing lunar samples back to Earth.

Launch Plan: The mission will be conducted in two stages with separate launches to assemble the lander and other modules in space.

Budget: The mission is budgeted at ₹2,014 crore and involves complex maneuvers such as docking and undocking, using five different modules and two launches, a first for India.

Timeline: Expected by 2027.

Relevance: Strengthens India’s space capabilities in sample collection and lunar exploration​.

Shukrayaan (Venus Mission)

Mission: ISRO’s first mission to Venus.

Objective: To study Venus’ surface and atmosphere using synthetic aperture radar and atmospheric sensors.

Instruments: Includes Swedish-Indian collaboration (Venusian Neutrals Analyzer) and French collaboration (VIRAL).

Launch: The mission is scheduled for a March 2028 launch with a budget of ₹1,236 crore.

Significance: A key step in planetary exploration, enhancing India’s planetary science portfolio​.

Gaganyaan

Mission: India’s first manned spaceflight program.

Gaganyaan is an ISRO mission aiming to send Indian astronauts to low-Earth orbit using an Indian launch vehicle.

It is a demonstration mission to test technologies essential for human spaceflight, showcasing India’s capability in producing, qualifying, and utilizing these technologies.

Future goals for ISRO include establishing an indigenous space station by 2035 and landing an Indian on the moon by 2040.

ISRO plans to integrate these ambitious projects with future lunar explorations, starting with a joint mission with Japan for lunar rover landing and a mission to return lunar soil samples to Earth.

The Indian government has expanded spaceflight and services responsibilities beyond ISRO to New Space India Ltd. (NSIL) for commercialization and the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) for authorizing space activities.

Additionally, ISRO has established the Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) to coordinate the Gaganyaan mission.

Indian Space Station (BAS – Bharatiya Antariksh Station)

Mission: India’s project to develop its own space station by 2035.

Objective: To have an independent platform for long-term space research.

Timeline: Expected to start by 2035, following phases in human spaceflight programs like Gaganyaan​

Next-Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV)

Mission: New launcher under development to replace current launch vehicles.

NGLV will be a three-stage reusable heavy-lift vehicle.

Pay load capacity will be around 10 tonnes to Geostationary transfer orbit(GTO) and twice the capacity to Low earth orbit(LEO).

NGLV will feature semi-cryogenic propulsion for the booster stages which is cheaper and efficient.

Potential applications will be in the areas of deep space missions, launching communication satellites, future human missions and cargo missions.

It allows bulk manufacturing and the turnaround time is minimal.

Till now, PSLV and GSLV are the major launch vehicles employed by the ISRO for satellite launches.

ISRO Vision 2047

Long-Term Vision: ISRO’s roadmap for India’s space sector by 2047.

Develop a fully functional space station by 2035.

Land humans on the Moon by 2040.

Key Aspects: Developing space technology, infrastructure, and human resources to enhance national security and economic growth.

Emphasis: Prioritizing space research and sustainable development goals (SDGs)​.