GUWAHATI: The Union Cabinet has approved four significant space projects, including India's next lunar mission and a mission to Venus, as part of the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Vision 2047. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the decisions, highlighting that all missions are time-bound and have made substantial progress.
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ISRO plans to launch the Venus mission in March 2028, coinciding with the closest approach of Earth and Venus. This marks India’s second planetary mission, following the successful Mars Orbiter Mission in 2014, with a budget of ₹1,236 crore. The orbiter will study Venus's surface, atmosphere, and interaction with the sun.
The Chandrayaan-4 mission received approval for ₹2,014 crore over 36 months. This mission will involve five modules launched in two separate missions, aiming to land on the lunar surface, collect samples, and return them to Earth. Notably, it will include docking and undocking maneuvers, a first for India. Plans are underway to send humans to the moon by 2040.
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Vaishnaw emphasised the significance of these missions as preparatory steps toward manned lunar exploration, stating, “Landing on the moon was a big step; now we will bring back samples.”
Additionally, the Cabinet approved the continuation of the Gaganyaan mission and the establishment of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), with an estimated cost of ₹20,193 crore. The first module of BAS is expected to be operational by December 2029, encompassing eight missions, including the necessary steps to construct the space station.
The final approved project is the Next Generation Launch Vehicle, which will enhance ISRO’s launch capacity from 10 tons to 30 tons in low Earth orbit. This project, costing ₹8,239 crore, is set to take 96 months, with the first launch anticipated within 84 months.