India Plans To Set Up Its Own Space Station By 2035, Send Indian Astronauts To Moon: ISRO Chief

New Delhi: India's space exploration is set to achieve a groundbreaking milestone, aiming to set up its own space station by 2035, send Indian astronauts on the Moon by 2040, and bringing them back safely. Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation ( ISRO ), Dr V Narayanan, shared this ambitious plan on Saturday. 

ISRO Chief said, "the organization is working on a mission to take an Indian to the Moon and bring him back safely. ISRO will accomplish this task by 2040." He added, “ India will have its own space station by 2035.”

Bharatiya Antariksha Station

Earlier in December, 2024, Union Minister Jitendra Singh revealed plans to set up its own space station named ‘Bharatiya Antariskha Station’ by 2035, one of India's most ambitious project, would weigh 52 tonnes and maintain an orbit of approximately 400 kilometers above the Earth, where astronauts could stay for 3-6 months.

“We are going to have our own space station, we will be among the first to have that, after the U.S. and one or two other countries. It will be known as Bharat Antariksha Station by 2035. And by 2040, we might be landing an Indian on the surface as well,” Jitendra Singh said.

Also Read: ISRO Announces Chandrayaan-5 Mission: Story in 5 Points

The first module of the space station is expected to be launched in December 2023 on an LVM3 launch vehicle, with the remaining modules set for launch by 2035 on the Next Generation Launch Vehicle.

Gaganyaan Mission: Indian Astronauts Into Space

According to ISRO'S official website, Gaganyaan project aims to demonstrate India's human spaceflight capability by sending a crew of three to a 400 km orbit for a 3-day mission, safely returning them to Earth by landing in Indian sea waters.

The Gaganyaan project leverages India's in-house expertise, the experience of Indian industry, and the capabilities of academia and research institutions, alongside cutting-edge international technologies. Key technologies to be developed include a human-rated launch vehicle, a life support system, crew emergency escape provisions, and crew management aspects for training, recovery, and rehabilitation.

Several precursor missions, including the Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT), Pad Abort Test (PAT), and Test Vehicle (TV) flights, are planned to demonstrate technology readiness before the actual human spaceflight. Safety and reliability will be validated through unmanned missions prior to the manned mission.