Modi ‘directs’ ISRO to land man on moon by 2040, work towards interplanetary missions
Prime Minister Narendra Modi added two new goals for India’s space ambitions: to set up an Indian space station by 2035 and to send the first Indian to the Moon by 2040.
The space industry in the country was quick to welcome the move, indicating that the new target will not only see heavy investments but also enhance the private sector’s role in India’s space ecosystem.
Modi gave these directions during a meeting to review the preparedness of the Gaganyaan mission (the country’s first human mission) and the first demonstration flight of the crew escape system test vehicle scheduled for October 21.
According to a statement, Modi said that India should target a “Bharatiya Antariksha Station” (Indian space station) by 2035 and send the first Indian to the Moon by 2040.
“The advantage with India is that it is number one in cost efficiency. That is where this feat will be an important goal for the private sector too, to come up with new technologies and contribute to a joint ecosystem with the government,” said Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder of Skyroot Aerospace, a startup that developed Vikram-S, India’s first privately developed rocket launched earlier this year.
“Until now, we have done rockets, satellites, and more. Human missions were the place where India was lagging behind. Putting a man on the Moon will be the next level to that. The Indian Space Station will be a stepping stone towards that,” he added.