After successful missions to the Moon and Mars, India is now set to explore Venus, with the Cabinet also approving the development of Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) that will explore Earth’s sister planet, which is believed to have once been habitable. Just after the Modi government 3.0 completed 100 days, the Union Cabinet also approved the development of a reusable next-generation launch vehicle (NGLV) ‘Surya rocket’ that will have a payload lifting capacity of up to 30 tonnes from the current 10 tonnes to low Earth orbit (LEO), Information and Broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. The development of the Surya rocket and Chandrayaan-4 mission was first reported by TOI.
Chandrayaan-4 Mission:
The fourth lunar mission aims to collect lunar samples, bring them back safely and analyse them on Earth. “This will ultimately achieve baseline technology capabilities for the Indian landing on the Moon, planned by the year 2040, and return safely to Earth,” according to the Cabinet statement.
“Key technologies required for docking/undocking, landing, safe return to Earth, and lunar sample collection and analysis will be demonstrated,” it said.
Chandrayaan-3 successfully demonstrated the soft landing of the Vikram lander on the surface of the South Pole. It established critical technologies and demonstrated capabilities that only a few countries have. The four moon missions are planned “at a cost of Rs 2,104.06 crore”, and the spacecraft will be developed and launched by ISRO,
“The cost includes development and fabrication of spacecraft, two launch vehicle missions of LVM3, external Deep Space Network support and special tests for design validation, ultimately leading to the mission landing on the lunar surface and safe return to Earth with the collected lunar sample”, the Cabinet said. The Chandrayaan-4 mission is expected to be completed “within 36 months of approval”, the Cabinet said.
Gaganyaan follow-up mission and first unit of Indian Space Station:
In another major space-related decision, the Cabinet expanded the vision for the Indian space programme as the Modi government envisages an Indian space station by 2035 and an Indian landing on the surface of the Moon by 2040. Towards this goal, the Cabinet on Wednesday approved the development of the first module of BAS-1.
The Cabinet has also revised the Gaganyaan programme, including the scope of development and precursor missions for BAS, and by including an additional unmanned mission. “The total funding for the Gaganyaan programme with the revised scope has been increased to Rs 20,193 crore, with a net additional funding of Rs 11,170 crore over the previously approved programme,” the Cabinet statement said. “The goal is to develop and demonstrate critical technologies for long-duration human space missions,” it added.
The programme envisages eight missions – four under the ongoing Gaganyaan programme by 2026, and development of BAS-1, and four more to demonstrate and validate various technologies by December 2028.
Venus Orbiter Mission:
The Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM), scheduled to be launched in March 2028, will “help generate a large amount of scientific data to understand Venus’ atmosphere, geology and investigate its dense atmosphere”, the statement said. The Cabinet has “approved a fund of Rs 1,236 crore for VOM, of which Rs 824 crore will be spent on the spacecraft”.
“The cost includes development and fabrication of the spacecraft, its specific payloads and technology elements, global ground station support costs for navigation and networks, and the cost of the launch vehicle,” the Cabinet said.
Venus is the closest planet to Earth and is thought to have formed under conditions similar to those on Earth. This investigation provides a unique opportunity to understand how planetary atmospheres can evolve very differently, and to explore the causes of transformation of Venus – believed to have once been habitable and very similar to Earth. This mission will also enable India to undertake future planetary missions with larger payloads and optimal orbit insertion approaches.
Next Generation Launch Vehicles:
To enhance the capability to carry heavier satellites into space, the Cabinet also approved the development of a reusable NGLV with a total funding of Rs 8,240 crore. ISRO will develop a launch vehicle that will support higher payloads and will be cost-effective, reusable and commercially viable. The funds will cover development cost, three developmental flights, required facility establishment, programme management and launch campaign.
According to the Cabinet, the NGLV will have three times the current payload capacity and 1.5 times the cost of LVM3, and will also have the facility of reusability, resulting in low-cost access to space and modular green propulsion systems. The NGLV development project will be implemented with maximum participation of Indian industry, which is also expected to invest in manufacturing capability at the very beginning, to ensure a seamless transition from development to operational phase.
The government said the reusable rocket will be demonstrated with three development flights (D1, D2 and D3) and a time period of 96 months (8 years) has been set for completion of the development phase.
Presently, India has achieved self-sufficiency in space transportation systems to launch satellites up to 10 tonnes into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and up to 4 tonnes into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) through the currently operational PSLV, GSLV, LVM3 and SSLV launch vehicles.
The NGLV will enable national and commercial missions, including the launch of human spaceflight missions to the Indian Space Station, lunar/interplanetary exploration missions as well as communication and Earth observation satellite constellations to LEO, benefiting the entire space ecosystem in the country. The goals of the Indian space programme require a new generation of human-rated launch vehicles with high payload capacity and reusability.
Four major Cabinet decisions taken on space projects on Wednesday will help the Indian space programme take a big leap into the space world.
