Goa: ISRO Chairman S Somanath on Monday said that the Indian Space Research Organisation is planning to land an Indian on the moon by 2040. Pointing that the mission will not be a low-cost exercise, S Somanath said that the mission to the moon would require a continuous exercise including development of launcher capabilities, laboratories and simulation systems. The ISRO chief also said that the exercise needs to be done multiple times before sending a human to the moon.

Talking about ISRO’s plan to send a manned spacecraft to the moon, ISRO chief Somanath said that the agency needs to create a technology science roadmap for a zero-gravity environment and added that ISRO has shortlisted at least 5 experiments that were used in the Gaganyaan mission.

Human access to space must be enhanced substantially: ISRO Chief S Somanath 

Speaking on ‘Scientific and Exploration Missions: Opportunities for Scientific Communities in India’ at the National Space Science Symposium’ in Goa, S Somanath stated, “We need to create a technology science roadmap for a zero-gravity environment in space. When we looked at the type of experiments that we wanted to do in the Gaganyaan mission. At least five of them have been shortlisted. However, they are not very exciting experiments for me.”

“Along with this mission, we must have an expanded capability for the moon mission. We must have continuous access to the moon as well. And finally, what we want to have is a human- an Indian, landing on the moon by 2040,” he said.

Asserting that a continuous exercise of missions to the moon to expand knowledge on the moon in a substantial manner, the ISRO chief added that a mission to the moon would not just happen by an accident and that human access to space must be enhanced substantially.

S Somanath emphasized on the interplanetary missions

S Somanath said, “It is not going to be a low-cost exercise. Sending humans to the moon, we need to develop launcher capabilities, laboratories and simulation systems. It cannot be done just once. It needs to be done multiple times. Only then it will be possible to have a human mission from India to the moon.”

Stating that there had been a resurgence of moon exploration across the globe, the ISRO chief said, “All this must be well understood in the context of others doing it, because many other nations are also going to the moon. I think you know, the renewed interest in the US, in China and various other nations.”

He stressed on a long-term vision for space exploration saying, “We must have the space station. It should be placed in orbit by 2028 with complete operation coming to effect by 2035 having capability for human habitation and stay for a longer duration.”

S Somanath also emphasized on the interplanetary missions, such as missions to Venus and Mars.