From Moon to Venus: India sets bold space agenda with Chandrayaan-4, Venus Mission and Space Station

The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved a mission to build the country’s first space station module, the Chandrayaan-4 that aims to return to the Earth with lunar samples, and the country’s first mission to Venus. (Photo: Agencies)

The lunar spacecraft will consist of five modules in two stacks. Stack one will consist of the ascender module that will ascend with the lunar sample and the descender module that will assist in lunar sample collection. Stack two will consist of the propulsion module, transfer module, and re-entry module. (Photo: Agencies)

India is targeting the first flight of the next-generation launch vehicle (NGLV) in the next seven years. (Photo: Agencies)

The next generation launch vehicle will have three times the present payload capability with 1.5 times the cost compared to LVM3, and will also have reusability resulting in low-cost access to space and modular green propulsion systems. (Photo: Agencies)

Chandrayaan-4, scheduled to take off after three years, is estimated to cost Rs 2,104 crore.

The cabinet has approved Rs 1,236 crore for the Venus Orbiter Mission, or VOM. Out of the total, Rs 824 crore will be spent on the spacecraft that is scheduled to be launched in March 2028. In this mission, the surface and atmosphere of Venus will be studied. (Photo: Agencies)

Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) chairman S Somanath who also attended the press meet said Isro is working under a definite timeline. “The goal given to us is to have a full-fledged (space) station by 2035. We plan to launch the first module of the station called BAS-1 by 2028. For doing that, we have limitations on launch vehicle capabilities,” he said. (Photo: X)